The Calling of Fire
by Crystal Blossoms
Summary: On a mission in Kilili’s, Zoruru’s, and Dororo’s past, they were assigned to be the bodyguard of the Keronian ambassador to the desert planet of Sonora. But not all is what it seems on Sonora, and a dark conspiracy may be lurking behind their backs.
1. The Dusty Past

I'm back! Here's the first chapter of my second fanfic, The Calling of Fire! Hope you like it! ;)

(Note: For those of you who don't know who Kilili is, refer to my first fanfic, Featherdance. Or you can just check my lookup. I put a description of Kilili on there.)

(Second Note: Zoruru wasn't half-cyborg at the time this story took place.)

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Chapter 1: The Dusty Past

_4:49 PM_

_Koyuki, Dororo, and Kilili's Cabin_

"Say, Kilili," a green-eyed girl started. "didn't you tell me a few weeks ago that you would tell me all about your incredible adventures?"

Her location was a small cabin tucked into the heart of the woods outside Tokyo. The cabin was constructed completely of stone, wood, and bamboo. Its shingled roof resembled that of old-time Japanese buildings, and a wide clearing sat in front of the cabin. A water wheel was turning slowly beside the building, powered by the serene stream that flowed beside the cabin. The water moved in one continuous ribbon, tumbling gently over the rocks. If you didn't know that it was the 21st century, you'd think that you were in Japan as it was many centuries ago.

Returning to our dialogue, Kilili, a light green-skinned and bright green-eyed female Keronian, replied, "Oh. I did, didn't I? Well, if you want to hear a story, I'd be glad to tell you one."

"You're telling Koyuki-dono a story, Kilili?" a light blue Keronian asked, stepping into the room.

"I am, Dororo," Kilili nodded.

"May I listen?" he requested.

"The more the merrier, as these Earthlings say," Kilili shrugged. "Sit down, and we'll get started."

After Dororo had settled himself onto a floor cushion, Kilili began, "You know this story, Dororo. It's from the days when you and I were in the same assassin troop. . ." She paused, as if trying to remember a memory that lingered just beyond her reach. "We were assigned to a mission with Zoruru to protect the Keronian ambassador . . ."

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_2,000 Years Ago_

_9:32 PM_

_Keronian Military Base_

A knife whizzed through the air, pinning a certain grey Keronian to the wall. It created a new rip in the ragged shroud that extended from his hat as it pinned him to the grey wall of the barracks.

"Your reflexes are still too slow, Zoruru," Kilili sighed, shaking her head as she emerged from out of the air. "It's a wonder you ever became an assassin."

"Perhaps you're just too fast, Kilili," Zoruru replied.

Wrenching her knife free from the wall, Kilili returned it to the space that she kept in her ears for throwing knives, shurikens, darts, and the occasional grenade. Zoruru stepped forward and swiftly climbed up the small ladder to plop onto the bunk directly above Kilili's. He peered over the edge of his thin mattress to see what she was doing.

Kilili had laid a huge spread of weapons on her bunk. Piles of throwing knives, shurikens, grenades, smoke balls, darts loaded with deadly poison, straws for blowing darts, lengths of thin, metallic strings, and a set of double swords. She was intent on straightening the piles and stacking them in perfect pyramids on her bunk. "I know you're staring, Zoruru," she said without looking up from her work.

"You've got eyes in the back of your head like my mother!" Zoruru murmured.

She finished putting a dart on top of its pyramid and lifted her head to look at him, grinning widely. "All girls have eyes in the back of their heads. It's how we keep boys out of trouble."

"And it's how I never got away with anything when I was little," he sighed. When Kilili started to put the weapons back into her ears, Zoruru asked, "How do you fit all those in your ears?"

"It's a secret you'll never know."

She finished stuffing her ears full of weapons just before a light blue Keronian's head popped in the door. "Kilili! I've been looking all over for you!" Zeroro (that was Dororo's name back then for you people that didn't know) exclaimed.

"I just finished organizing and storing my weapons," Kilili replied. "Why were you looking for me?"

"A messenger told me that I was to find you and Zoruru-san," Zeroro explained. "The Admiral wants to see us."

"_The_ _Admiral_?" Kilili gasped. "Why?"

He responded, "All the messenger said was to find you two and come to his office."

"We shouldn't keep him waiting," Zoruru said, hopping down from his bunk. "Let's go."

The three trotted out of the barracks and strolled across the vast Keronian military base. Several formations of soldiers passed by them, and they saluted each other as they passed. A couple of times, they met a Keronian or two that they knew.

"Major Kilili-sama," Garuru saluted as he stopped in front of the trio.

"Stop that, Garuru-kun," Kilili sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you that you don't have to call me by my military rank every time we meet? We're friends."

"Military code dictates that we have to address each other by our ranks when we meet," Garuru answered.

"You're too uptight," Kilili complained.

"Anyway, where are you going, Kilili-chan?" he inquired.

"The Admiral wants to see Zoruru, Zeroro, and me," she responded. "I don't think that we've done anything wrong recently, but they say that eyes are always watching us. Or maybe the officers just say that to make us behave."

"Ahhh . . .," Garuru breathed.

"You know something about this, don't you?"

"Now, why would you say that?" he said in an innocent manner. "I have to depart. Good bye, Kilili-chan." Garuru inclined his head towards Zoruru and Zeroro. "Lance Corporals Zoruru and Zeroro."

Garuru marched away, rounding a corner and disappearing. Zoruru and Zeroro looked curiously after him, but Kilili, who knew what they were thinking, said firmly, "No mind reading. We have to see the Admiral, and I don't think he'll take 'We were reading Garuru-kun's mind' as an excuse for being late."

She stormed off, leaving the other two to dash after her.

They arrived at the Admiral's office a minute later. Kilili knocked on the door to receive a 'Come in' as an answer. She grabbed the silver knob and twisted it, pulling the door open. The trio filed inside as Zoruru shut the door behind them.

The office was spacious, with maps of Keron Star and several other planets plastered on the walls. These maps had notes in the Keronian language scribbled all over them, and sticky notes stuck on top of those scribblings. A long, polished meeting table of cherry wood stretched out in front of them, ending in a part of the room covered with shadow. Two large, black irises in white eyes gazed out at the newcomers as a voice greeted, "Welcome, Major Kilili-dono and Lance Corporals Zeroro-dono and Zoruru-dono."

"Admiral-sama!" the three saluted, planting their hands on their foreheads in the standard salute.

"At ease, soldiers. You're wondering why I called you here."

They nodded.

"You three are some of the best assassins in the Keron Forces. Especially you, Major Kilili-dono."

Kilili stiffened.

"Reports have reached me that you can create and manipulate lightning," the Admiral said. "Is this true?"

"I can't create lightning, but I can draw it from another source, like a power outlet, and manipulate it from there."

"A most unusual ability," he remarked.

"It's been called that before, sir." Kilili smiled. The Admiral seemed to smile, as well.

"Anyway, let's get to the point of your visit. Have you heard about the Keronian ambassador that we're sending to Planet Sonora?"

"Yes, sir."

"There is still much unrest on Sonora after the long and bitter war that was fought between our peoples. Therefore, the Keronian ambassador may be in danger on his visit with assassination attempts and mobs. He will require bodyguards, and that is why I have called you three here."

"You want us to be the Keronian ambassador's bodyguard, sir?!" Kilili exclaimed.

"Yes, Major Kilili-dono. Do you and Lance Corporals Zoruru-dono and Zeroro-dono accept this mission?"

She turned to look at Zeroro and Zoruru. They nodded. "We accept, sir," the three said together.

The Admiral nodded. "Good. The ambassador will be leaving for Sonora soon. Prepare for your mission and report back here at 0600 hours the day after tomorrow. You will meet the ambassador and the four of you shall set off for Sonora. You will be posing as his servants."

"S-Servants?" Zoruru said. "Surely, you must be joking, Admiral-sama!"

"I'm afraid I'm not, Zoruru-dono. It's the only way to avoid suspicion from the Sonorans. Unless, of course, you would like to be his siblings?"

"No, sir."

"Then you will be his servants. Dismissed."

After another vigorous salute, Zeroro, Kilili, and Zoruru left, shutting the door quietly behind themselves. They raced back to their barracks, leaping across the tops of the grey and camouflage green buildings. Kilili was the first one to get there, arriving several seconds before Zeroro and Zoruru. They walked silently back to their bunks. After lying down, Kilili called, "Good night, you two. By the way, we're getting up at three in the morning tomorrow. You two need to work on your reflexes."

There were small groans from Zoruru and Zeroro. "Don't complain! You're not tadpoles anymore! I'm still your teacher, and I say your reflexes aren't good enough. Another complaint and we wake up at two in the morning! Now good night. Rest up."

Kilili turned to face the wall to avoid Zoruru and Zeroro's resentful gazes. After a minute, her eyelids slowly slid closed, and she fell asleep.

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I've decided to make my chapters longer from now on, and add more detail, as well. It's my way of improving my style of writing. Anyway, look for the second chapter tomorrow, and review, please!


	2. Meeting the Ambassador

WHEEEE!! Chapter 2. This one's _really_ long (3,500+ words!), so enjoy it! :D

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Chapter 2: Meeting the Ambassador

_6:00 AM_

_Admiral's Office_

"It's good to see you three here," the Admiral nodded from his dark corner. "Right on time: as military men and women should be. I'd like you to meet the Keronian ambassador to Sonora, Sharuru-san." He gestured toward the figure that was standing to his left.

"I'm Sharuru," he said in a pleasant, lilting voice. "You must be my bodyguards."

Sharuru was a light blue and purple striped Keronian. His left eye was blue, and his right eye was a pale purple. His hat was the standard yellow Keronian hat with normal ears. He had already lost his tadpole tail and white face, showing that he was an adult. The emblem on his belly and hat was a silver diamond. There was an air of warmth and comfort hanging around him, oddly enough. It made them feel slightly drowsy, and Zeroro stifled a yawn.

"I am Major Kilili, an assassin," Kilili bowed. "But you can just call me Kilili-san, Sharuru-dono."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," Sharuru replied, smiling at her.

"Thank you, Sharuru-dono," she said politely.

After all the formal greetings were done, they filed out of the office, heading to the transportation department. As they walked down the worn dirt path, Sharuru started, "You don't have to escort us to the air base, Admiral-sama. There are probably many more pressing issues that you have to attend to."

"What kind of an Admiral would I be if I didn't extend my full courtesy to the Keronian ambassador?" the Admiral chuckled. "It is an honor to be able to escort you to your ship."

Sharuru bowed, falling in step behind the Admiral. He strolled beside Kilili, asking, "Would you mind if I chatted with you on our way to the air base?"

"Not at all. You must have a lot of experience being an ambassador," Kilili answered.

"How can you tell?"

"For one thing, the energy around you is different. Most people's auras aren't like yours. It's as if the air is a bit warmer, a bit _friendlier_ around you. There's also something about you that makes me want to hear what you have to say and comply with your wishes. This frightens me a little. Does it come of being an ambassador?"

"I never noticed," Sharuru said, looking surprised. "You have keen observational skills indeed, Kilili-san."

"It comes of being an assassin," she grinned. Sharuru returned the grin.

"Could you tell me a bit about your family?" he asked.

"Of course, sir. I have one sister. Her name is Pururu, and she's working for a civilian corporation right now."

"How splendid! What is she like?"

Kilili paused, glancing warily at him before continuing. "Pururu likes to take care of people. I remember that she always ran around with this giant syringe when we were little, and she would jab it into people to make them better. She's a smart girl, kind, and cheerful, as well. Also, she's Zeroro's childhood friend." She motioned towards Zeroro.

Sharuru nodded, taking all this in with an intent gaze. "Parents?" he added.

She tensed for a split second, but relaxed before any of her fellow assassins could notice her tension. "They were away on business for most of the time. I usually had to take care of Pururu alone while we were going to school. It's all an older sibling's duty, though," she sighed.

"You're very responsible," Sharuru complimented.

"Thank you," Kilili nodded.

"Are you married yet?"

"Heavens, NO! I'm still too young to get married!" she protested. "Besides, there's no one that I love that way."

He looked at her sympathetically. "Don't you get lonely sometimes?"

She shook her head, grabbing Zoruru and Zeroro and throwing her arms around each of them. "I've got my two best guys right here to keep me company. They keep me busy all day."

When the two started squirming, Kilili released them and abruptly started fussing over their shrouds. "Look at this shroud, it's all wrinkled!" she exclaimed, pulling on Zeroro's shroud. Turning to Zoruru, she frowned and added, "And yours! Even worse! It's covered with tears. Look at those frayed edges! Don't you ever buy a new one?"

She darted over to Zoruru, clucking as she straightened his shroud. Zoruru turned bright red as he mumbled, "Stop it, Kilili. You look like my mother."

"Didn't both of your mothers ask me to take care of you?" Kilili asked the two with a stern look on her face. "I'm your teacher, anyway. It's my responsibility to fuss over you."

A hearty laugh came from their companion. Everyone turned to watch Sharuru laughing. "Ahahahaha!!"

"What's funny, Sharuru-dono?" Zeroro inquired.

He stopped laughing, grinning at the three. "I think things are never going to be dull with you three as my bodyguards." Kilili strolled forward to walk beside Sharuru. "You seem more like their mother than their best friend," he added to her.

"These boys always manage to get into some kind of trouble," she shrugged. "Someone's got to care of them."

"We're here," the Admiral announced.

They gazed up at a large metal warehouse. The panels making up the walls and ceiling were riveted and welded together at the ends. The building was windowless, and the only entrance appeared to be a large titanium door.

"It may look frail, but these walls are made of the strongest space metal there is," the Admiral elaborated. "The security system on this building is so strong, that if anyone were to try and cut a hole in the wall, they would be burned to a crisp in a matter of seconds. There are invisible Keronian guards on each side of the door, and aircraft patrolling every inch of this sector."

"All this security has to be for a reason," Zoruru said. "What's inside?"

"Only the most technologically advanced spacecraft in the universe," the Admiral replied. "This security is also for another reason: since the ambassador is here today, the whole base is on high alert for anything suspicious."

After hearing this, the group hurried inside. The guards closed and sealed the doors behind them. Kilili whirled around and rapped on the door. "Sealing spell," she commented. "And not too badly done."

The entire door gleamed with silver runes and inscriptions in the assassins' vision, but only looked like an ordinary titanium door in the other two's eyes. She uttered a whistle of approval before continuing with the others.

Around them, bizarre and wonderful spacecraft were standing on the floor, clamoring to be noticed. There were fat, thin, tall, short, small, big, colorful, grey, glowing, dull, and many other varieties of spaceship in the bunker. One resembled a helicopter, but had the enormous helium sac of a blimp. Even stranger, it had tiny wings sticking out of the side of the cabin. Nearly all of them had Keronians in white lab coats clustered around them, making notes on their clipboards. Once or twice, the assassins glimpsed the silver glow of magic on the spacecraft, walls, and ceiling. All were spells of protection and defense and, as Kilili said, "Not too badly done".

Eventually, they came to a halt in front of a sleek, black spacecraft. The wings were elongated and cut to a thinness that could cut meat cleanly in two. Their tips were pointed, and the wings curved back after the tip. The tail of the spacecraft angled back, and it was pointed, as well. The nose of the ship was sharp and extended to the tail without any curves. A door, barely noticeable against the black, was set into the side of the ship. "It's very . . . pointy . . . and black . . .," Kilili remarked.

"This is one of our latest models, RWB-275. We based the design on jets from other planets, since this design seems to work well for speed and discreetness, which is just what you'll need if you want to get to Sonora before next month. Your cabin boy will show each of you to your rooms. There is enough food to feed you all until next year, and emergency supplies, should you require them, are in the living room next to the hallway leading to the cabin. Have a safe trip, and report back to the commander as soon as you get to Sonora, Sharuru-dono," the Admiral explained. "Watch out for hijackers, as there may be many on the way to your destination."

Sharuru's bodyguards nodded. "Yes, sir."

"One more thing," the Admiral continued. "Protect Sharuru-dono at all costs. You must be willing to give your lives for his. Do you still wish to take this mission?"

"Yes, Admiral-sama," the trio replied, saluting him.

"Good."

The door opened with a pneumatic hiss, and a set of stairs extended from the floor of the ship. A tadpole looked out at them, bowed, and said, "I'm Haroro, and I'll be your cabin boy on your trip."

The four nodded in Haroro's direction as they ascended the stairs. When the last Keronian stepped in, the stairs rolled back up and fit themselves snugly into the floor of the space jet. The door slid shut with another hiss, and as it clicked shut, a vibration ran through the floor. The engine purred quietly as a voice over the intercom said, "Lady and gentlemen, I'm Captain Tururu of the Keron Air Forces, and I'll be your pilot on your trip to Planet Sonora. We will be taking off shortly, so please be cautious with any items that you've brought on board, as they may fly around in the second before artificial gravity is introduced. Cabin boy Haroro will show you to your rooms. It's an honor to be able to serve you, and thank you for choosing the Keron Air Forces."

The voice buzzed out as Haroro ushered them out of the luxurious living room that had a huge flat-screen TV with a state-of-the-art sound system, couches and chairs made from the finest imported thread, a plush floor, and even a miniature restaurant stuck in a corner.

Down the hall, Haroro was just finishing explaining the safety regulations on the space jet. He had showed the four where the kitchen was, and was bringing them to their rooms now. A sudden boom rocked the jet. "Don't worry!" Haroro shouted. "We've just broken the sound barrier!"

Sharuru's room was, of course, the most lavish. It was filled with a huge bed, wooden desk and dresser, a nightstand made especially for short Keronians, and lamps on every surface except the bed. A computer sat on the desk, and a large flat-screen adorned the wall in front of the bed. The wallpaper was light blue, with golden decorations on it that looked like they were painted with gold leaf. Sharuru's eyes popped as he sat on the bed, taking in everything around himself.

"This is more luxuriant than I've ever had before," he murmured, clicking his bedside lamp on, then off.

"I'm glad that you like it, ambassador-dono," Haroro nodded. "Please enjoy your stay here as I show your companions to their rooms."

They filed out of Sharuru's room as Sharuru turned the television on. Haroro motioned for them to follow him to the next room over. It turned out to be Kilili's room.

Her room had light blue and green wallpaper, with a cozy bed that had clean white sheets on it. Her nightstand had a crystal clock on it and a lamp. The dresser stood to the side of the enormous bookshelf beside her desk. A small window hung above the desk, showing the grey of the bunker wall currently. Kilili smiled in bliss as she hopped over to the bookshelf, and her expression of delight grew even bigger as she read the titles of the books there.

"These are my favorite books!" she exclaimed, picking _The Tadpole Tail: the Untold Story of Today's Youth _up and leaping onto the bed. "How—"

"The Admiral asked us to prepare this room for you," Haroro explained. "He wanted you to be comfortable here."

"He always was little nicer to me," Kilili shrugged, opening her book and leafing to the first page.

Zoruru's room was grey and black, 'the most depressing colors in the world', as Kilili called them. His bed was the same size as Kilili's with the sheets dyed grey. The walls were utterly unremarkable, and the same could be said for the furniture. Zeroro and Haroro quickly departed after sensing that Zoruru wanted to be alone.

Zeroro's room was simple, yet exuded an air of calmness. There was a bamboo mat on the floor, and the walls were a plain cream color. A scroll on the wall read 'Balance'. The bed in the corner with light blue sheets didn't seem to fit in this scene, but the air staff couldn't let him sleep on the ground. "Very nice," Zeroro complimented, and then sat on the mat. He closed his eyes and arranged his body in the meditation position that Kilili had taught him. Haroro quietly closed his door, not wishing to interrupt Zeroro's meditation.

During the next few days, the flight proceeded without incidence until the fifth day of travel. They were entering the galaxy that Sonora was in and would reach their destination in two days, at the most. The Sonoran sultan had sent a communication to them, telling the group that they had organized the quarters that had been set aside for the Keronian embassy and that the welcoming party was nearly complete. After the communication was sent, Sharuru and his bodyguards lounged around for a while before the captain's voice came over the intercom. "We appear to be followed by a spacecraft," Tururu reported. "They've been following us for an hour now, and so I feel that they might be hijackers. I will attempt to send a communication to them."

His voice faded off as Tururu tapped a code into the keyboard, launching the communication system. A large, transparent screen popped up on the window, displaying a fuzzy black and white background. He typed some more commands, and an image of a person wrapped in cloth appeared. The cloth was embroidered with gold swirls, the sign of wealth on Sonora. A sash tied it all together and held the cloth up while a headdress, also embroidered, hid the Sonoran's face from view. The Sonoran looked up at the screen and jumped to see Tururu gazing at him.

"I would like to inquire why your ship has been following us for the last hour," Tururu began. "My passengers and I are unsettled by your behavior."

The Sonoran glanced down at the control board before him and pressed three glowing red buttons. "Die, Keronian scum!" he rasped in a voice parched by the dry air of Sonora.

Tururu quickly closed the communication and opened the view of their pursuer. Three missiles painted with red arrows dropped out of the bottom of the ship and shot after the Keronian vessel. Their pursuers sped away from them, vanishing in a few seconds. They gained swiftly on the Keronian jet. "Damn!" Tururu cursed as he gripped the steering wheel and lever. He pulled back on them, causing the jet to rise sharply. The missiles followed the jet up, getting closer by the second. "They're heat-seeking!" he muttered, diving into a downward spin. He curved around a chunk of space debris that one missile was unlucky enough to hit. But try as he might, he couldn't shake the other two off.

Suddenly, flashes of silver appeared on his rearview screen. The missiles that had been pursuing them stopped and fell into pieces that were sucked away by the vacuum of space. Tururu stopped the jet and gaped at the spot where the missiles used to be.

"You could say thanks, you know," Kilili said, scowling at him on his rearview screen. "And please don't start moving again until I get inside." She abruptly disappeared, climbing back on board the ship. Kilili fought with the current of space to get the door shut for a minute, but managed to pull the door closed. Sighing, she plopped back down on the couch. "Well, that was the most excitement that I've had for days. Why didn't you help?" Kilili glared at Zoruru and Zeroro.

"We shouldn't be fighting," Sharuru chided. "Please calm down, Kilili-san."

She shot Sharuru a quick glare before getting up and clomping off to her room. "Next time, you two help protect the ambassador, too!" she called behind herself.

Zeroro shook his head and sighed in his mind, 'Kilili . . .'

The rest of their journey passed without event, and on the seventh day, they saw Planet Sonora looming in front of their space jet, which was minuscule in comparison. Sonora was a swirl of reds, oranges, dusty yellows, browns, and whites. There was almost no green in sight amongst the desert colors except for tiny patches of green. The patches were most likely oases. The capitol city was sighted after they passed through the murky atmosphere. It had its very own patch of green surrounded by rustic shades of brown and gold that made up the buildings of the city. The Sultan's palace stood out from the brown and yellow by being a shining star of silver. The towers were silver-encrusted white marble that had elaborate gold designs on the sides. They totaled too many to count. The huge, shimmering glass dome that rested on the top of a marble tower standing in the middle of the palace oasis was the Sonoran sultan's famous 'Illusion Chambers', renowned for their beauty and mystery that few had ever gazed upon. The Keronians could see small black figures hurrying about below, busy with their errands, look up at the sleek black spacecraft. As they came even lower to glide just above the city, they could make out some Sonorans that were drawing triangles in the air. Others seemed to be smiling at the jet or waved before continuing with their tasks.

"Why do they draw that triangle?" Kilili asked.

"It's part of Sonoran customs," Sharuru explained, popping up beside her as he gazed out of the window at the city. "Drawing a triangle in the air means, in the more polite translation, 'Begone, demon!'"

She nodded as she observed more Sonorans either drawing triangles in front of themselves or waving. The majority were drawing triangles. As they entered the airspace of the palace, however, everyone stopped what they were doing and bowed as the jet passed by. "The Sultan probably told them to do that," Sharuru muttered. "Otherwise, they'd be drawing triangles right now."

A large, flat space of the lush green field had been cleared to make room for the jet to land. As the jet circled around the oasis, Tururu announced, "Lady and gentlemen, we are beginning our descent into the Sultan's palace. Please make sure that you take all of your baggage, if any, with you. In addition, please take one of the moisture stabilizers on your way out. The stabilizers will need to be refilled with water once a day. It has been a pleasure serving you, and I hope to see you again on your return trip to Planet Keron. Thank you for choosing Keron Air Forces."

Sharuru picked up a stabilizer, which was a blue, belt-like contraption. It had a dial on the side and a small percentage reading next to the dial. He strapped the belt on around his waist and adjusted the dial so that the percentage read 100. His companions passed over the belts. When Sharuru noticed that they weren't wearing the belts, he asked, "Won't you dry out?"

Zeroro shook his head. "We are part of an assassin troop that has been trained to be able to move around in any condition. The Sonoran humidity level will feel the same to us and have the same effects as the humidity on Keron Star."

Sharuru nodded, replying, "You're lucky. This belt is rather cumbersome."

"Are you ready, sirs and madam?" Haroro inquired, standing by the door with Tururu.

"Yes," everyone said.

"Again, it has been an honor to serve you," Tururu bowed. "Please come back safely at the end of this month."

"Thank you, Captain Tururu," Kilili answered, inclining her head.

The Keronian embassy marched up to the door, the assassins standing behind Sharuru. The assassins' heads were bowed in the Sonoran way of servants' behavior in the presence of their masters. Sharuru had told them about this behavior, saying, 'It is extremely rude for a servant to look anyone else besides other servants in the eye. They may only look someone who is a higher class than them in the eye when their master tells them they may.'

Haroro slid the door open, and the Keronians filed into the burning Sonoran sun.

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And that's all for Chapter 2. I'll try to update soon, but I might be busy in the next few days. Until then, please review!


	3. An Encounter with the Sultan

Here's Chapter 3. Read on!

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Chapter 3: An Encounter with the Sultan

_1:56 PM_

_Sultan's Palace_

_Sonora_

Sharuru squinted in the bright light. The 'servants' were spared this pain because their heads were inclined towards the ground. Kilili handed Sharuru a pair of sunglasses and murmured, "Put them on after we meet the Sultan, sir."

Nodding, Sharuru put the sunglasses into a pocket of the suitcase that he had brought with him. The suitcase had been loaded onto the jet before they had boarded, so no one else had seen it. The four Keronians proceeded to hop down the stairs, stepping onto the thick grass when they ran out of stairs. Behind them, the stairs folded back up and the door of the jet slid shut. The jet turned around and hovered up to a height far above the oasis. It disappeared in a flash of light, a boom echoing in the distance. The boom was a signal that it had broken the sound barrier.

A group of five Sonorans, six counting the Sultan, stood before them. Sharuru stared at them.

Before we continue the story, you should have some description of Sonorans and what they are. Sonorans look like Earthlings, except their skin is an inky black. Their eyes range in color from red to deep violet, and their hair shares the same spectrum of colors. Every Sonoran has a jewel set into their forehead that they are born, and each jewel is a different hue. These gems are commonly referred to as soul jewels. The jewel can be onyx, ruby, sapphire, diamond, amethyst, emerald, or any gemstone you can think of! It is said that the type of jewel a Sonoran has relates to their personality. Sonoran customs are wide and varied, and you will find examples of their customs scattered throughout this work.

Female Sonorans typically wear wraps of any color that are tied with a sash, and they also wear slippers. A semi-transparent veil covers their face and shoulders. Male Sonorans wear tunics of any color with leggings underneath. Males, too, wear sashes around their tunics. They usually wear slippers, as well. Their heads are covered with headdresses that have a white cloth extending from it down to their shoulders. A way to distinguish classes from each other for both genders is by clothes, so clothes are very important to Sonorans. Normally, the longer a veil or headdress cloth, the richer that Sonoran is. Also, if a Sonoran's clothing has golden swirls embroidered on it, it is another sign that they are rich.

And now you have a brief description of Sonorans. Back to our story!

The Sultan was a tall, imposing man with an air of wealth and power hanging around him like his tunic. His tunic was a clean white color with golden swirls and his personal emblem, the arrow, embellishing the edges. A bright red sash held this all in place, and red leggings covered his legs. The slippers that he was wearing were made of the finest silk on Sonora, and had swirls and arrows on them, as well. The headdress that he was wearing had a cloth that extended down to his feet and had the same symbols on it. He carried a staff of oak wood that had a glowing white orb fixed on the top. The orb was covered with silver and gold netting and had various jewels that looked suspiciously like the soul jewels of Sonorans hanging from it. The Sultan's own soul jewel was a fiery, glittering garnet. The garnet flashed with an intense red glow as he surveyed the Keronians standing before him.

The Keronians suddenly felt very small in front of this powerful, large Sonoran.

The Sultan walked away from the group and stared down at Sharuru. Sharuru gulped and started, "Greetings, Sultan-dono. I am Sharuru, the ambassador from Planet Keron. The three that you see behind me are my servants that have accompanied me here." Finished with his explanation, Sharuru waited for the Sultan's response.

To his surprise, the Sultan started to laugh, chortling, "Welcome to Sonora, most dignified Keronian delegation! I am Sultan Mwatara, also known affectionately as the Sultan of Laughs amongst my people." He bowed low, sweeping his headdress off and holding it in the same hand that he held his staff with. "It is honor to be able to welcome you to our humble planet of Sonora."

"Thank you, Sultan-dono," Sharuru answered, looking bewildered by this sudden switch from serious and imposing to laughing uncontrollably. "I hope that we and our planets will become good friends by the time our delegation leaves."

The Sultan straightened up and said, "Please, call me Mwatara. I feel much more comfortable when people call me by my name."

"Very well then, Mwatara-dono," Sharuru nodded.

"And who may your servants be?" Mwatara questioned as he peered at Kilili, Zoruru, and Zeroro.

Sharuru motioned to each as he said their name. Mwatara took their names in and bobbed his head up and down. "Good. Now, I must have you meet my companions. Sylwa, my wife." He waved at a female Sonoran that was dressed equally as splendidly as he was. She had a deep blue sapphire soul jewel. "Taribo, my son." Taribo was dressed well, like his father and mother, with a purple soul jewel. "Kerah, my daughter." She had a bright pink soul jewel. "Balisha-san, the healer." Balisha was dressed rather plainly, but had silver embellishments on her clothes that deemed her as a healer. Her soul jewel was a luminous moonstone. "And my good friend Ubuko, the palace chef." He wore an apron splattered with globs of food and sauce over his other clothes, which were equally as stained. His soul gem was a glowing orange.

"Now that you've met everyone," Mwatara declared, clapping his staff and his other hand together, "Sylwa will show you to your quarters. Feel free to roam around the palace. I have declared that no one should try to harm any of you, so it is safe . . ."

'I'm not so sure that it's safe,' Kilili thought to Zeroro. 'I sense deceit and malice here.'

'Me, too,' Zeroro replied. 'There's probably someone in the palace that wishes us ill.'

". . . and there's a map of the palace in each of your rooms—" Mwatara continued until he was cut off by a piercing cry.

"UWAAAAAAAHHHHH!! THE FIRE WILL BURN YOU, KERONIAN SCUM!!" a wild-eyed Sonoran screamed as he ran into the courtyard, a hand clutching a fireball.

"Get down, Sharuru-dono!" Zeroro shouted, pinning Sharuru down. Kilili darted forth, and moved her wide-spread arms back.

"Water art! Rip current!" she whispered as she twisted her hands.

The serene spring that had been bubbling nearby roared up in rage as a huge current of water was dragged out of it. The spiral of water wrapped around their attacker, instantly extinguishing the fireball. Soon, the Sonoran was trapped in a tall pillar of water that extended far above the courtyard. The water receded to let his head out into the air as Kilili lowered her palm. She balled her hand into a fist, and the water froze into a pillar of sparkling ice that was shining in the courtyard, with spirals of ice and frozen foam shooting out from it. Small jets of water were frozen in place as they circled around the ice pillar. The Sonoran that had tried to burn Sharuru struggled to get his body to move, but it was locked in on all sides with hard ice.

"What is this? You have magic, too?!" the renegade Sonoran gasped. "But—you're a barbarian!"

Kilili leaped up to stand in front of his head. "I don't think you're in a good position to be making insults, scumbag," she hissed. He cowered, trying to shrink into the ice. "But it's not my place to punish you." She jumped down from the top of the pillar, landing softly on the ground before the Sultan. Her head bowed, she said, "I would suggest that you deal with him quickly, because the ice will melt soon, Mwatara-dono."

Mwatara looked at her, his gaze filled with respect and curiosity. "You are more than you appear to be," he pondered.

"My companions Zoruru and Zeroro also have the same kind of abilities," she replied in a clipped tone.

Mwatara glanced at Zeroro and Zoruru before returning his gaze to Kilili. "Sylwa!" he called. "Please escort our guests to their rooms."

"Yes, honey," Sylwa responded in a soft feminine voice. "Please follow me, Sharuru-dono and companions."

Kilili dashed over to join them as they strolled after Sylwa into the palace as Mwatara rested his chin on his staff. 'I think I understand why he brought them here now,' Mwatara thought as the group walked out of sight.

Sylwa and the Keronians walked in silence. "Sylwa-dono? May I ask a question," Kilili inquired.

"You may," Sylwa answered.

"Why does Ubuko-dono wear his apron if his clothes are going to get dirty anyway?" Kilili asked.

Sylwa smiled at Kilili and giggled, "I don't think he's ever thought of that. But Ubuko is Ubuko, and that's just the way he is."

Kilili smiled at the floor, since she wasn't allowed to look Sylwa in the eyes for fear of being considered rude. 'Why did you ask her that question?' Zeroro thought to Kilili.

'The silence was making me feel uncomfortable,' Kilili thought back. Zeroro shook his head again as they continued down the long, marble-floored corridor. Their footsteps were quiet as they proceeded, due to Sylwa's slippers and the Keronians' tiny feet. They passed by large, ornate double doors several times until they felt like they were walking in circles. When they walked past yet another elaborate, gold leaf-painted set of double doors, Sharuru remarked, "This is a very large palace you have here."

Sylwa nodded. "If you don't know your way around, you could easily get lost. I actually got lost many times in these hallways when I first moved in. It's a good thing this place is usually filled with servants or members of the court."

A few more minutes of walking through seemingly endless gilded, marble chambers, they arrived in a spacious dome. The ceiling was made of glass that shimmered with a silver light in the assassins' vision. It ended when it met the wall, which was made of pink marble. Four doors were set into the walls. They were made of a light tan wood with knobs of gold. "Is that real gold?" Sharuru asked, staring.

"Why would you ask a silly question like that?" Sylwa laughed. "Of course it's gold! What else would it be, _brass_? I shudder at the thought."

"Sonora is a very wealthy planet," Sharuru commented.

"My husband has always had an expensive taste in décor," she replied.

After showing each to their rooms, Sylwa told them, "Dinner will be served at 6:30 PM. We will be dining in the main dining hall, which we only use for special events such as Sharuru-dono's visit. My husband feels the need for a feast in your honor. Oh yes, if you don't think that you can find your way to the hall, just pull the golden tassel hanging from the ceiling beside your bed, and a servant will come and show you there. I hope you have a lovely stay on Sonora."

They went into their respective rooms, finding that the ceilings of these rooms were also made of the same glass as the ceiling in the antechamber. All the furniture was miniaturized to fit a Keronian's proportions. Kilili looked up at it, imagining a clear blue sky tainted by only a few clouds. An image of a nearly cloudless sky materialized onto the glass, and the clouds even drifted past lazily. Smiling in delight, she imagined the house where Pururu and she had lived. It appeared on the screen, replacing the sky. "This must be the same kind of glass that Mwatara-dono has in his Illusion Chambers!" she exclaimed, thinking of a volcano now. Fiery lava hissed on the ceiling, but didn't drip down as chunks of rock and ash flew off the top of the volcano.

She entertained herself with the glass for an hour, even imagining a picture of her sister on the ceiling. Kilili looked at Pururu with a wistful look. 'I haven't seen Pururu ever since I joined the Keron Forces,' she realized. 'Perhaps I'll buy a souvenir for her here and visit her when I come back.' The screen displaying Pururu lingered for a few more seconds before being replaced by an image of Zoruru.

'Zoruru's a bit strange, and he and Zeroro are always fighting, but he's a good friend. I'm critical of his assassin skills, but he's really a talented assassin, no matter what I say. Maybe I should compliment him sometime instead of pushing him to work on some aspect of his abilities.' Zeroro flashed onto the glass next.

'Zeroro's always been an excellent friend. He's loyal, trustworthy, and kind. A bit shy at times, but he's a good person and an amazing assassin to boot. I've only seen him angry a few times because he usually keeps his calm.'

Kilili hopped over to the window that had been thrust wide open. The thin silver curtains were fluttering gently in the light breeze that blew in. Since the wall was quite thick, she was able to perch herself on the windowsill with ease. She looked out at the clay city before her. From here, the Sonoran capital of Barleri looked like a child's clay sculpture, with rectangular prism-like lumps for buildings and holes for windows. The dirt paths were no match for the grand Main Street that was paved with asphalt. Small stalls lined Main Street, with bright flags and banners hanging from their sides. She felt an itch to go shopping.

A pair of sliding doors on the wall caught her eye next. Lowering herself down from the windowsill, Kilili strolled over to them and pushed them open to reveal a closet that had to be as big as her room. Her mouth dropped to the floor as her eyes took in a rainbow of colors hanging from the coat racks. Wraps, sashes, veils, and dresses of all colors hung on every hanger. Tiny slippers of satin or silk were lined up on the floor underneath the cloths, begging to be tried on. An open cabinet in the back of the closet displayed a show of fine jewelry, including chains with gems hanging from the ends.

She spotted a note attached to the inside of the door and pulled it off, reading:

_I was informed that there would be a woman accompanying the ambassador, and so I had all this made in a size appropriate for one of your kind. I hope you like it._

_Queen Sylwa_

Kilili stared at the note, then back up at the clothes. A grin lit up her face as she started tugging clothes off their racks.

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Yes, I just _had _to end the chapter there. The story will continue in Chapter 4, so watch for it! Please review.


	4. Partying with the Sonorans

This chapter's a bit shorter, but the next chapter will be long! ;) Enjoy.

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Chapter 4: Partying with the Sonorans

_6:30 PM_

_Main Dining Hall-Sultan's Palace_

The main dining hall was crowded with people when Sharuru, Zeroro, and Zoruru finally found their way there. Aromas of spices and other exotic foods drifted down from the feast tables, which were laden with more food than they had ever seen in their lives. Chickens, turkeys, curry, potatoes, herbs, and even a few fruit salads were there. Many other traditional Sonoran dishes, like paper bread and baked apples stuffed with cinnamon and peach skin, were there, as well. Helpings of marinated steak and some strange meat that glowed orange had been set down there, as well. At the end of each long dining table were crystal plates, glasses, and tableware, along with huge jars of every spice imaginable that had ladles sticking out of them. The floors were patterned with a checkerboard pattern that had gold in between the cracks in the tiles, and the walls had costly silver lamps hanging from them. Chandeliers made of either crystal or diamond hung from the ceiling, giving off many sparkling lights that were reflected in the crystal/diamond and thrown across the room.

The guests had already loaded their plates with food and were lounging around in pockets, chatting quietly. A murmur of voices filled the rooms until they were cut off by music. An instrument that made a _boom _when it was played could be heard every half-beat. The booming stopped when a harp was introduced, but this was unlike any harp that they had heard. Gorgeous, trilling notes twined around the room, capturing the attention of all in the room. The harp went on for a solo that lasted several minutes before being overwhelmed by violins that soared from deep to high in a few seconds. The violins sang, telling a story of despair and hope before a piano started playing with them. The piano was light and springy, the notes reflecting this mood. They danced up from the keys, working with the violins to produce a beautiful harmony. As the piano played, then stopped, the violins mimicked what the piano had just played. This exchange went back and forth for a few minute before the piano started spiraling higher and higher. The notes flew up the keys, then back down for a trilling finale, which the pianist ended with a graceful sigh from the piano.

Applause cheered up from the listeners as those who were sitting stood, clapping their hands vigorously and whistling in admiration. The drummer, harpist, violinists, and pianist stood up, bowed or curtsied while the crowd roared for more. The Keronians clapped, as well. "A most wonderful performance!" Zeroro exclaimed. Zoruru simply nodded while Sharuru was cheering loudly and slapping his hands together.

"I see that you like our musicians," Mwatara noted, appearing beside them. "They are all renowned players. Not to brag, but our pianist took first place at the Cosmic Mid-Summer Piano Festival last year. She plays the piano almost as if she's one with it."

When the applause died down, the musicians resumed their playing with a calmer tone. The audience went about their business, meeting and socializing with acquaintances. Yet more food was brought up from below by waiters in red and gold livery, which were the colors of the Sultan. They set the new platters down and took the empty ones back to the kitchen.

"One of your number is missing," Mwatara noticed. "Where is Kilili-dono?"

"She told us that she's getting ready, but that she'll be a few minutes late," Sharuru shrugged. "I wonder what's taking her so long."

Outside, tiny feet in silver slippers padded down the hall. Kilili checked her outfit again to see if she had tied the sash correctly before entering the main dining hall. Heads turned as she floated by, and eyebrows were raised. She ignored this and hurried toward her friends, who were staring, as well. "Sorry for being late, Mwatara-dono," Kilili apologized, bending her head. "I was busy preparing myself."

Kilili wore a silvery veil and a crystal in the shape of a feather on her forehead. Her wrap was light spring green embroidered with gold swirls and feathers, with a darker green sash. Tiny silver slippers were on her feet.

"Stunning," nodded Sharuru. "Why did you think to wear Sonoran clothes?"

"Sylwa-dono had an entire closet full of Sonoran clothes prepared in my size," Kilili replied, her head still bowed. "It would be rude if I didn't wear them. Didn't you find any of these clothes in your closet, Sharuru-dono?"

"I-I never looked," Sharuru admitted.

"Wooooowwwww . . .," Kilili breathed.

Sylwa sidled up beside her husband. "I'm pleased that you thought to wear them," she said, smiling. "I must say, you look lovely."

"R-Really?" Kilili stuttered, tugging on her silvery veil.

"Please don't tug on the veil, though," Sylwa suggested. "The veil is very delicate."

She immediately lowered her hand to her side, apologizing, "Sorry, Sylwa-dono."

"You missed a spectacular performance by the musicians," Zeroro informed Kilili.

She sighed, "Oh well. Maybe I can hear it later."

"What say we heap our plates high with food, and I introduce the Keronian delegation to the government officers?" Mwatara suggested, grabbing several crystal plates from the table and handing them out to the Keronians. "Take as much as you can eat!"

Zoruru and Zeroro both looked uncomfortable as they helped themselves to some oddly fuzzy cookies. The group proceeded up and down the line of feast tables, their plates growing heavier as they went on. When the Keronians felt they couldn't carry their plates anymore, the Sultan called for four servants to hold their plates for them. "We can carry our plates on our own," Sharuru insisted, tugging his plate back from the servant who tried to take it.

"Please don't trouble yourselves," Kilili requested, shaking her head. "You already have enough work as it is."

Mwatara frowned, but called the servants off. They spent the rest of the evening meeting all 573 government officers, and at the end of the evening, the Keronians felt that they had shaken the hands of everyone in the city. Dazed, they stumbled out of the room despite Mwatara's insisting that they stay for the real party. Behind them, they heard the elegant music that they had been hearing all night morph into noisy funk. "Ohhh . . .," Kilili moaned. "That's going to keep us up all night."

"Perhaps we should go back and ask Mwatara-dono for earplugs," Sharuru proposed.

"It would look rude," Zeroro pointed out.

"You're right," Sharuru sighed. "I wonder if the pillows are thick enough to keep out the sound . . ."

They trudged back to their rooms, plopping on their beds and pulling the pillows over their ears. 'Kilili?' Zeroro's mind-voice started.

'I'm here,' she replied. 'But you might want to think louder. I can hardly hear you over the funk.'

'Do you think there will be any more assassination attempts?'

'Definitely! You should expect everything.

'Good night, Kilili.'

'Night, Zeroro.'

Zeroro sunk below a mound of pillows. 'Ugh, I can still hear that music,' he groaned inwardly. 'Oh no. It's shaking the floor now.'

In Zoruru's room, he had clapped his hands with pillows over the sides of his head. 'If this happens every night, then we won't be able to sleep for the entire month,' he thought unhappily. Zoruru suddenly remembered the Sonoran who had tried to assassinate Sharuru. 'What did that lunatic say? _The Fire will burn you._ Not fire with a lowercase 'f', but Fire, with an uppercase 'F'. I should mull it over with Kilili tomorrow.'

A shadow darted past his window before vanishing. Zoruru blinked, sitting straight up and darting out of his room and into Sharuru's room. "Sharuru-dono!" he called, pulling Sharuru out of his bed and into the antechamber.

Sharuru needed only one look at those red eyes to say, "Another assassination attempt."

"Stay close by," Zoruru ordered, narrowing his eyes. "This one seems like a professional."

Zeroro, who had heard the ruckus, joined the two. "Assassin," Zeroro said once he looked at them. They nodded, and Zeroro and Zoruru stood on each side of the ambassador, blades out and ready to fight. Their eyes were scanning the room for any trace of the assassin.

"KYAAAAAAAAA!!" a female voice screamed.

"Kilili!" the three exclaimed, running towards her room. They flung the door open and saw Kilili twisting the assassin's wrist back on him as she flung him into the wall. She stuck her fingers into his ears for a brief moment. Releasing the assassin, he fell to the ground, struggling to move his body. His leg was hanging at an odd angle. Kilili looked at the trio of Keronians standing in her doorway and scowled.

"Can't a girl have some privacy?" she asked, intensifying her scowl. She picked the limp Sonoran's body up and flung it at Zoruru. He barely managed to catch the assassin. "Take care of _that_."

The door slammed shut in their faces. They heard a sigh on the other side of the door and a muffled voice saying, "There goes the fancy wallpaper."

"Kilili-san seems irritable," Sharuru noted.

"She's just annoyed by the music, and now that assassin," Zeroro replied.

The two assassins escorted Sharuru back to his room before walking back down to the dining hall. Zeroro strolled in and whispered to the Sultan about what had just happened. Mwatara straightened up and strode into the hall to see the assassin. After scrutinizing the unconscious Sonoran, Mwatara called a few servants over and ordered them to escort him to the dungeons. One servant heaped the assassin over the shoulder and promptly left with the others down a stairway at the side of the hall. Shaking his head, Mwatara sighed, "I guess there are still a few radical groups. Tell Sharuru-dono that I apologize for the attempt made on his life and that I will settle this soon." He strolled back into the dining hall.

Zoruru and Zeroro walked back to their section of the palace in silence. They glared at each other for most of the way, keeping a distance of several yards from each other. Each was tense, expecting the other to attack any second. However, none of the two attacked the other. When they got back to the antechamber, they managed curt nods to each other before darting back into their rooms.

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That's all for Chapter 4. Review, please.


	5. The Fire Cult

Yay! Chapter 5! (This one's 3,600+ words)

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Chapter 5: The Fire Cult

_10:12 AM_

_Sultan's Palace_

It had been two days since the last assassination attempt when Mwatara called the Keronians to the palace oasis. Sharuru, accompanied by the trio of assassins, strolled down the brick path towards the lofty tower that was Mwatara's chambers. They paused at the tall doorway, and Sharuru knocked on the metallic door. His knock echoed up the stairway into the Illusion Chambers. A reply of 'Coming!' echoed back down the stairs. The Keronians could hear footsteps padding down the steps after a while, and the door was flung open. "Come in!" Mwatara invited.

They filed into the entry chamber. The room had several leather couches and recliners, with lamps lighting up the space. A large television hung on the wall for visitors to watch while waiting for the Sultan, and magazines were piled on small tables. A few plants with thick, squishy leaves grew inside. After taking a sniff of the plants, Zeroro remarked, "These are aloe plants."

Mwatara nodded. "You're correct, Zeroro-dono. However, now is not the time to be chatting about plants. Let's go up to my chambers to speak about this."

They started climbing the stairs. The Keronians had to hop from step to step, since the steps were made for larger people. Small windows were placed every ten steps on the wall. Hundreds of steps later, when they reached the top of the staircase, Mwatara said, "Sorry about the stairs, but we can't remodel this place to include an elevator currently."

The Keronians were gasping for breath, and Sharuru was lying face-flat on the ground. Zeroro was leaning on the wall, and Zoruru had his hands on his knees. Kilili was sitting down. They dragged themselves through the open door, heading for a table in the center of the room. Unfortunately, the Keronians collapsed before they got there and had to be picked up by servants and carried over. Mwatara settled himself into one of the chairs around the circular table and cleared his throat. "Could you bring some drinks for them?" he asked a servant nearby, taking out a pouch from his sash. He opened the pouch and held it under each Keronian's face.

They snapped up, shaking their heads and breathing heavily. "Those are some powerful smelling salts!" Sharuru gasped.

Mwatara, a sly smile on his face, pocketed the pouch and set a folder on the table. "I'm glad that you're conscious and able to talk now. Ah, here are our refreshments." A female servant had a platter with five tall glasses of pink and blue liquid with foam on the top. She bowed as she set the platter down and hurried away.

They sipped their drinks, which were sweet with a trace of spicy, as Mwatara began, "I've had my spies look into the different renegade groups, and they've discovered something. All of the different groups are actually branches of a larger group that calls themselves 'The Fire Cult'. They employ assassins and magicians whose main specialty is, you guessed it, fire. Here's a picture of their emblem." Mwatara slid a photo out of the folder of graffiti on a wall. The graffiti depicted a triangle engulfed in flames. "The first assassination attempt was probably by a novice magician from the group, as it wasn't very well thought out. He thought that he could assassinate the Keron ambassador and get attention."

"It makes sense," Zeroro nodded. "The novice couldn't control the fireball skillfully, which is why it went out the second it touched water."

Mwatara continued, "We haven't found out who their leader is yet, but we've found out who some of the members of the cult are." He took more pictures out of the folder.

As the Keronians looked at the photos, Sharuru remarked, "Some of these are government officials."

"Which is why those assassins could get in the palace," Kilili realized. "They had help from inside."

The Sultan bobbed his head. "Everything has a weakness, though. The Fire Cult's weakness is water. Every member, no matter whether they have magic or not, is affected by water in a negative way. The reason why is because all members of the cult have the emblem tattooed onto their backs. If the tattoo gets wet, then it starts drawing energy from the person to keep itself dry."

"What happens if it can't find energy?" Zeroro asked.

"Then it catches on fire. I don't think they thought much about the properties of the ink that they were using," Mwatara sighed. "But since Sharuru-dono has bodyguards that can use water skillfully, you don't have to worry about the cult that much."

"We're still not masters at elemental art," Zeroro admitted. "Kilili's been teaching us, but she says that it takes several centuries to master all four elements."

She nodded. "The only reason why I can use the elements so well is because I started learning elemental magic from the time that I was born. All I needed to do in assassin training classes was learn how to control my power, since it would sometimes burst of me violently."

Mwatara wilted as he said, "So Zeroro-dono and Zoruru-dono can't do what you did with the water?"

"Oh no, they can! But I haven't taught them how to draw water from the air and earth if a river isn't nearby yet. That won't take long, though. I can teach them it today, if you would like me to," Kilili corrected.

"Then I would like you to teach them how to draw water," Mwatara nodded. "Go right now. You can use the oasis as your training ground."

She smiled, then looked up at the ceiling. It was a dome of shimmering, silvery glass that was almost like a mirror. The glass seemed to twist and shift itself before their eyes, becoming an image of a mountain, then a calm spring. It eventually settled on showing the swirling red and white Sonoran sky. "What did you do to that glass to make it behave like that?" Kilili queried. "It seems almost . . . _alive_."

"My most powerful magicians toiled for a year developing this kind of glass," Mwatara explained. "I have no idea what kind of spells and charms they worked on it to make it show pictures so realistic, you believe what it displays is actually real. They call it 'Illusion Glass'. You'll have to ask them yourself about their secret, but I doubt that they'll tell you."

Shaking her head, Kilili responded, "I must go, Mwatara-dono. Zeroro, Zoruru, come on! I'm going to teach you how to draw water from your surroundings." She strolled over to a window and opened it. Stopping, Kilili turned and asked, "Is it okay if I leave this way? The stairs take too long."

The Sultan said, "It's fine with me."

"I wish I could come with you," Sharuru sighed with a wistful look in his eyes. "I'd love to see how you work your magic, but I have more things to discuss with Mwatara-dono."

"Are you sure that you'll be safe, Sharuru-dono?" Zeroro inquired.

"No one, not even those renegade groups, would dare to assassinate Sharuru-dono in my tower," Mwatara declared. "The penalty for killing in my chambers is automatic death."

They hesitated before diving out the window. Plummeting towards the ground, the assassins shifted themselves so that their feet pointed downwards. Sonorans that had been strolling around gazed up at the falling Keronians in shock. The Keronians landed lightly on the ground, and Kilili immediately paused to survey the oasis. After analyzing the area with her assassin vision, she announced, "There's a clearing in the northeast section of the oasis. It's enclosed by trees, so we should have some privacy."

The trio marched along the path for a few minutes before turning off it and heading northeast. More minutes of walking yielded a field that was partially enclosed by several towering oak trees. They walked to stand in the center of the field, Zoruru and Zeroro facing Kilili, who crossed her arms and sighed. "I should have taught this to you earlier, but I never thought that it would be useful," she apologized. "Sorry. Anyway, let's get started. We have tons to cover and a short amount of time to do it in.

"Everything contains water, how minute the amount. Even the clay walls and parched streets of this city contain water. Drawing water can be a bit tricky. First, you find your magic and spread it over an area of your choice, like a net." She closed her eyes for a moment and waved her right hand in a spinning motion. Threads of silver appeared, weaving themselves into a large net. The net floated above their heads, encompassing the entire clearing. "I'm just making this visible to demonstrate how to collect water.

"Second, you have to find the water. Spread yourself along the net and use the magic to search for water in the net's range." The lines of Kilili's net flashed bright silver for a moment, then returned to its soft silver glow. "Now, you have to sweep the net through the things that you want to draw water from. Concentrate on the amount that you're taking, because if you take too much, you'll disrupt what you're taking from." She drew her arm back, and the net started closing. It swept through Zoruru and Zeroro, the trees, air, and grass. They felt an uncomfortable tingling sensation for a second before their bodies adjusted to the change.

"Are you okay?" Kilili asked. "It shouldn't be too bad. I once saw an assassin try the same thing, only he actually drew water from himself instead of his surroundings. He was fluttering around like a piece of paper for a week." She stopped babbling and shook her head. "How do I manage to get off-topic? Okay, once you've collected the water, you have to get rid of the net very quickly. Immediately after you've gotten rid of the net, keep the water where you want it so that you don't lose your work." Kilili drew the net up in front of her. It was full of clear, sparkling blue water. The net vanished, and the water formed itself into an orb the size of Kilili in the air.

"Like so. You should know how to manipulate it. Zeroro, catch!"

The ball of water flew through the air, solidifying into a huge sphere of ice. Zeroro held his hands up in front of him, and the ice stopped. It floated back and melted back into water. Nodding in approval, Kilili remarked, "Your reflexes are already better." With a twist of her hand, the water went back into its sources. "Now you two try. I usually do it faster than I just did, but go slow for now. I'll be monitoring you so that I can point out things about your technique."

The two assassins bobbed their heads and started working. As their nets spread across the clearing, Kilili commented on the weave of their nets. "A triangular weave isn't a good idea for now, Zoruru. Since this is your first time weaving your magic, just use a square weave. It'll be easier to keep together. Also, Zeroro, don't try such a large area. You might lose control over your magic, and you know what kind of havoc stray magic wreaks."

As they continued with their work, she pointed out several more things about their technique. When Zeroro's net shattered, Kilili quickly rounded up the pieces and disposed of them. "Zeroro! That could have been dangerous!" she scolded. "You have to keep the net together _and _search for water at the same time. It isn't going to stay woven by itself!" He nodded and starting making another net. Kilili went on with supervising their work until they both had orbs of water floating in front of them.

She smiled in admiration, complimenting, "Well done, you two. Now return the water and do it again. Don't give me those faces. You have to practice this! Oh, and keep practicing it even when I'm not with you. If anyone's net comes apart, gather the magic up quickly and return it to yourselves." Kilili stood there waiting until they started with the technique again. After they had finished it again, this time faster than before, she sighed, "That's enough for today. Go and eat lunch. I brought some paper bread with me. You'd be surprised if you knew how many calories that bread has!"

As the two strolled away, she called, "Try not to kill each other!" Unsure whether they had heard or not, she shook her head and set to chewing on paper bread. An explosion of cinnamon came of the first bite. Taking another piece out of it, she tasted blueberries and sighed blissfully. This was the good thing about Sonoran food: it always had a variety of flavors. The foods that she tasted next from the bread were strawberry, peach, ice cream, steak, and lastly, Pocky.

'I wonder what they put in these breads,' she pondered, pulling out another flat loaf of paper bread. 'This place must have good chefs and magicians!'

After she finished her load of bread, Kilili hopped back towards her room. She had gotten used to the tangled passageways and confusing corridors of the Sultan's palace in these two days. Most of the time now, she didn't even need the map! Stepping into the airy antechamber, she saw Sharuru and . . . Princess Kerah? Curious, Kilili dissolved into the air, drifting towards the two. They appeared to be chatting, each blushing. With a flash, she understood what was going on. Kilili grinned, thinking, 'It's time to surprise them.'

"Hi!" she chirped, appearing out of the air. Kerah screamed while Sharuru recoiled from her sudden appearance. Kilili giggled, "You should have seen the looks on your faces!"

Sharuru frowned at her, asking, "How long have you been listening?"

"A few minutes," Kilili shrugged. When the two flinched, she assured, "Don't worry, I understand perfectly! I'll just be in my room if you need me. Be nice to Kerah-dono, Sharuru-dono!" She dashed into her room, shutting the door quietly just before another fit of giggles engulfed her.

"I-I never would have thought that those two liked each other!" she chortled. "I haven't been paying much attention to Sharuru-dono lately, though. Oh! I've got to make sure that Kerah-dono's parents know about this!" Kilili flung her window wide open and jumped. Wings of lightning sprouted from her back, lifting her up on a warm updraft coming from the kitchen. Sonorans below dropped their parcels and gaped at the flying Keronian, and some even started drawing triangles in front of themselves, chanting a spell to keep evil away. She flew towards the Sultan and Sylwa's chambers, hovering in front of the window that she had used earlier.

"Mwatara-dono! Sylwa-dono! It's Kilili!" she called, knocking on the glass. The glass formed a picture of a scowling face. "Sorry," she apologized to the glass. "Next time, I'll just shout."

Sylwa came to the window, jumping when she saw Kilili floating on two wings of crackling electricity. "K-Kilili-dono!" she squeaked. "To what do I owe the honor of this unusual visit?"

"I need to talk to you and your husband about Kerah-dono," she replied.

"Come in," Sylwa ordered immediately. Kilili's wings dissolved, and she hopped into the room. "My husband is in his study, working on some requests from the city-people for a new bridge over the River Sonora. He'll be coming in just a minute." Sylwa ducked into her husband's study, explaining in soft tones about Kilili's visit. Kilili seated herself at the table where she and the others of the Keronian embassy had sat earlier and twiddled her tiny fingers. After a few seconds of twiddling, Mwatara stormed out of his study, followed closely by his wife.

"What happened to Kerah?" he asked in a commanding, serious voice.

"I think . . . I think . . .," Kilili started, turning slightly pink. She stopped, then whispered, "I think . . . Kerah-dono and Sharuru-dono . . . like each other."

"WHAT?!" the two yelled.

"How can you tell?" Sylwa inquired.

"I have a little sister," Kilili shrugged. "I could always tell which boys liked her."

Sylwa and Mwatara glanced at each other, and Sylwa said, "We need to speak in private for a moment."

Kilili nodded and started twiddling her thumbs again. 'It looks like I only have you for company,' she thought to the glass. The glass turned an indignant shade of red. 'But you're great!' she added hurriedly. It went back to its usual image of the Sonoran sky.

Bored, she started whistling a Keron work song quietly. "Keron kero kero . . . kero kero keron! Keron . . . kero . . . keron te-flon! Keron kero kero! Keron keron! Toss your work and worries over—" Her song died as she saw the Sultan and Sylwa reentering the room with serious looks on their faces. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

A wide smiled broke across the Sultan's face. "No, everything couldn't be more wonderful!" When Kilili looked puzzled, he explained, "This is the perfect way to make peace between our two planets!" Her expression of confusion grew even deeper. "What I'm trying to say is, if Kerah and Sharuru-dono get married—"

"Wait!" Kilili interrupted. "D-Don't you think it's a bit too earlier to assume that?"

"Of course not!"

She turned to Sylwa, who explained, "On Sonora, girls usually get married in their adolescent years. Kerah is going to be almost 1,000 years old in a few months, and it's odd for a girl of her age to not be married yet here."

"I guess customs differ between our planets," Kilili sighed. "I'm over 1,500 years old, and I wouldn't consider marriage for a moment at my age."

"Are you sure you don't have anyone that you love?" Sylwa asked her. "Your two friends seem nice."

"I do love Zeroro and Zoruru, but like brothers."

Mwatara cleared his throat. "But we will have to make wedding arrangements before the end of the month, which is when your delegation is returning to Planet Keron."

"Not so fast, honey," Sylwa said. "Kilili-dono is correct. They should decide if they want to get married or not."

He looked at his wife and sighed, "Maybe you're right. I was just excited that Kerah found someone that she likes."

"I'll talk to Sharuru-dono about it if you want me to," Kilili offered.

"Yes, you do that," Mwatara nodded. "Sylwa, could you speak to Kerah about this?"

"Yes, sweetie," Sylwa smiled.

"Why won't Mwatara-dono talk to Kerah-dono about it?" Kilili pondered.

Sylwa beckoned Kilili towards herself. After Kilili strode over, Sylwa bent down and whispered, "He's scared that he'll mess up and say something that'll upset Kerah. Even though he's the Sultan, he's still a father that doesn't know how to talk to his daughter."

"I heard that!" Mwatara called from the table. The two women giggled.

Kilili bowed and said, "I should be going now. Zoruru and Zeroro are probably expecting me to still be in the clearing where we trained."

"Have a nice day," Sylwa wished, smiling at her.

"Good bye," Mwatara said. Kilili turned around and leaped out the window, feet-first. She tapped down softly on the ground before the tower and started dashing towards the clearing. When she skidded to a halt in front of the trees, she saw that her two best friends were there already. Their faces were calm in meditation.

She paused, considering something. Then, she dissolved into the air as she did when she wanted to eavesdrop. Floating closer to her friends, she spread herself out through the air so that they wouldn't sense her presence easily. Kilili circled around the meditating Keronians and her heart softened. 'Zoruru usually looks so serious, but now, he's so peaceful-looking. It's nice to see that the little tadpole I knew is still there." She drifted to Zeroro's side, thinking, 'His magic is getting stronger each day. I'm sure that one day, he'll be the top assassin in the Keron Forces.'

Kilili hovered in the middle of the two, thinking happily, 'Soon, they won't need my teaching anymore. They'll be great assassins, even when I leave the Keron Forces someday. My only wish is that they'll keep themselves safe and come back to visit me every now and again.' She returned to her solid form, startling Zeroro and Zoruru out of their trance-like states. Their expressions of surprise grew into looks of bewilderment when she smiled softly at the two.

"Perhaps I'll teach you two how to do that someday," she whispered.

Zeroro asked tentatively, "Erm . . . are you okay, Kilili?"

She nodded and inquired, "Have I ever told both of you how proud I am of you?"

"You haven't," Zoruru replied.

"Well, I'm more proud of you than anything," she smiled, "and I can't wait to see the day when both of you are the best assassins in the Keron Forces!" They looked at her with expressions of concern. "This is sudden, but I felt that I needed to tell both of you that. Now!" She clapped her hands together and sat down. "Show me the technique of drawing water."

They started on it, and a few seconds later, had enormous orbs of liquid floating above their heads. "Excellent. Now see if you can do it—" She clicked her fingers, and a sphere of water hung in front of her. "—this quickly. Go!"

They spent the rest of the afternoon in the clearing.

………………………

I've already come up with the next chapter's title: Wedding Crashers. Look for it tomorrow! Or the day after tomorrow, if my parents pester me to read another chapter on analyzing writing or if I have to do another few pages of that GRE book. Bleh. :(


	6. Wedding Crashers

Phew! Another chapter dawns on us! Surprisingly, this fanfic isn't that far from being done. Maybe just a few more chapters to go! I already have my idea for my next fanfic! (And it usually takes forever for my next idea to come. -.- Maybe it's a sign of the apocalypse . . .)

………………………

Chapter 6: Wedding Crashers

_Two weeks later_

_2:04 PM_

_Sultan's Palace_

"Why do you look so pale?" Kilili asked, frowning at Sharuru. "You should be happy that you're getting married today."

"Who was the one that made me ask her?" Sharuru retorted with a glare.

"Didn't you want to ask Kerah-dono to marry you?"

"Well, yes . . . but . . ."

"Then you shouldn't be regretting what you did," she declared, pulling on the cuff of Sharuru's suit. "There! After all of my fussing, you finally look perfect!"

Kilili had been making last-minute adjustments to Sharuru's suit with a spool of thread and a needle that the royal seamstress had given her. The seamstress had seen her fixing up a couple of loose threads on her wrap, and so she had given Kilili a few tools for quick alterations. "I'll be busy with the bridesmaids' dresses, so I won't be able to help Sharuru-dono or Princess Kerah-dono," the seamstress had explained.

"Kilili-saaaaaaaaannnnn!!" Kerah called as she skipped into her room. Kilili quickly turned around and bowed. "Stop that!" Kerah frowned. "You're not a servant anymore. You're a dear family friend!"

"If you insist, Kerah-chan," Kilili chuckled, straightening up. "My, you look striking in that dress! Sharuru-kun seems like a mouse wearing a potato sack compared to you." Sharuru glowered at her. "Stop glaring so much. You'll freeze your face that way and scare Kerah-chan."

She wasn't lying about Kerah's dress. It was made of shimmering, rippling white silk that had stitches so fine, they were invisible. Layers of this silk overlapped each other in diagonal rows, forming a billowing skirt. The white contrasted sharply with her black skin and outlined her skinny arms and heart-shaped face. The corset of the dress was drawn tightly to show her narrow waist. Ribbons of lace crossed each other in X-patterns on the torso of her dress. Tiny bows of lace decorated the hip of her dress and the skirt, as well. A lace trim hung from the bottom of the skirt with flowery designs cut out of it. At the back of the dress, a large ribbon tied her corset into place, the ends swooping down to trail behind her. The veil that Kerah was supposed to wear, also white, had a silver tiara embedded with diamonds and pink sapphires on the top. Kerah was clutching the veil in her right hand as she fidgeted with the engagement ring on her left hand.

"Kerah-chan, could you give me the veil?" Kilili asked. "I need to smooth it out, since you've wrinkled it all up now."

Kerah glanced down at the crushed veil in her right hand, her mouth forming a silent 'Oops'. She presented the crumpled piece of thin cloth to Kilili, who shook her head as she took out an iron. "I'll also need to get some glue," Kilili muttered gruffly. "The tiara is coming off."

"What would we do without you, Kilili-san?" Kerah sighed, smiling.

"You'd show up to the wedding with wrinkled clothes," Kilili replied unconsciously as she ironed the veil flat. "There. Sharuru-kun, do you know where I put the glue?"

"It's in your sash," Sharuru answered. He was pointing towards a bottle of glue lying in the back of her sash. Kilili turned her head around and spotted the jar hanging there. Scowling, she grabbed it and whirled back around with it. She applied a dash of the cream-colored glue to the bottom of the tiara, then pressed the tiara onto the veil.

"Here's your veil," Kilili announced, handing it to Kerah. "This time, wear it. Oh! Is that a loose ribbon I see?" She hurried over to Kerah, needle and silk thread at the ready.

As Kilili stitched the ribbon back into place, Kerah turned to Sharuru. Kilili made a small noise of protest, but shifted with her. After she finished attaching the ribbon, Kilili rushed out of the room for a fresh spool of silk thread from the seamstress's workshop. "Kilili-san seems to be a bad mood," Kerah commented.

"She's been fussing over my clothes all day," Sharuru shrugged, "so she's probably tired."

Kerah's face crumpled. "She doesn't seem to like me very much."

"Nonsense!" Sharuru boomed. "Kilili-chan's just grumpy because she stayed up all night getting our clothes ready. She told me that she likes you yesterday . . . before she started working."

"She works so hard . . .," Kerah murmured, "but what does she get in return?"

"Kilili-chan said that the only reward she needed was to see us happy and walking down the aisle together."

'She always looks so strong,' Kerah thought, 'but I bet that she wants more, sometimes.'

"I have more silk thread!" Kilili shouted, marching into the room with another spool of shiny thread. Seeing their sympathetic faces, she frowned and questioned, "Did something happen?"

"No," Kerah replied, shaking her head.

Kilili shrugged and went back to work on Kerah's dress. "The things I do for friends," she muttered while stitching another lace ribbon onto the dress.

………………………

_4:32 PM_

_Sultan's Palace_

Kilili wove through the small group of Sonorans that had gathered for the wedding, searching out two Keronians. "Zeroro! Zoruru! Get over here!" she hissed, causing a couple of the guests to wheel around in alarm. The two assassins strode over, flinching when Kilili ranted, "Did you forget? You're a couple of the best men! Go and stand beside a bridesmaid now!" She pointed at the congregation of several females Sonorans inside before folding her arms. "Now if you'll excuse me, Mwatara-dono's suit seems to have a loose thread."

She hurried off towards Mwatara, clutching a spool of black thread in her hand and tugging a needle off her sash. Zoruru and Zeroro walked quietly over to the bridesmaids and lingered just beyond the group. A few seconds later, Sharuru came over to greet them. "How are you two?" he asked.

"I feel like killing somebody," Zoruru hissed, pulling at his collar. "Why do we have to wear these outfits?"

"This is considered appropriate dress for a wedding here," Sharuru sighed, "and since we're here, we ought to follow their customs."

"Congratulations, Sharuru-dono," Zeroro smiled. "I hope that you and Princess Kerah-dono will be happy on Sonora."

"Thank you, Zeroro-san."

Zeroro glanced at Kilili, who was busy straightening Mwatara's collar. The Sultan was protesting that she didn't have to do this, but one glare from Kilili silenced him. "Kilili seems to be in a bad mood," he noted.

"What can you expect?" Sharuru shrugged. "The Sultan and Queen Sylwa-dono appointed her as the wedding director. She's been running around all week, checking the food, fussing over our clothes, sending out invitations, not to mention having to deal with security issues. I would suggest that you just stay out of her way until the wedding is over, or she'll be fussing over you until the end of time."

"Sharuru-chan! The priest wants to speak to you!" Kerah shouted from across the room.

"I have to go. Have a good time," Sharuru said, rushing over to where Kerah stood with a Sonoran in purple robes. "Coming!"

Kilili burst into the room and shut the double doors. She peeked through them at the small, seated audience of Sonorans one last time before shutting them again. "May I have everyone's attention?" she called, snapping her fingers. A crack of thunder sounded from them, causing everyone to flinch. "Okay, it's time! Bridesmaids and best men, arrange yourselves into rows, please. Sylwa-dono and Sharuru-kun, would you please stand at the head of the line?" She ushered the two over to the front of the line, and after a final sweep of their clothes, nodded. "Go."

The doors swung open, and the group outside stood up. A choir started singing in high, angelic tones while a piano played a delicate melody in the background. Queen Sylwa and Sharuru proceeded down the pink petal-strewn aisle at a pace that kept up with the choir. Back inside, Kilili nodded as she approved each couple leaving the room. She gave a thumbs-up to Zeroro as he passed on the arm of Balisha, the palace healer. After the couples had passed, Kilili noticed Zoruru standing in a corner. Glancing at Kerah, she inquired, "Do you think that you can go without me here?"

They nodded. Kilili dashed over to where Zoruru was, removing needles, spools of thread, scissors, glue, and tape measures from her sash. "Come on!" she whispered as she grabbed his arm. Kilili pulled him over to the doorway and linked her arm through his. They trotted through the doorway, following the line of couples in front of them.

Kilili smiled gently at everyone, thinking to Zoruru, 'Idiot! Why didn't you find a partner?'

'There were no more bridesmaids,' he responded.

'You should have just asked me as soon as you realized there was an odd number!'

'You looked busy.'

She shook her head. 'I'm never too busy to listen to you. Remember that next time, okay?'

'I will. Are you angry at me?'

'Not angry—just frustrated. Boys are all like this. It makes me wonder how our species ever survived. I had to nag Sharuru-kun about asking Kerah-chan to marry him for a week before he finally asked her. Then, he forgot the ring! What kind of person forgets the engagement ring?!'

'Calm down. You're turning red.'

Kilili's breathing settled, and her color slowly returned to normal. 'Thanks,' she thought to him.

'You're welcome.'

They released each other's arms and settled into place at the ends of the rows of bridesmaids and best men. The music suddenly changed into 'Here Comes the Bride' as Kerah stepped out of the doors. Clasping a bouquet of pale Sonoran desert roses in both hands, Kerah proceeded down the aisle, her ribbons trailing behind her. The petticoats of her dress rustled softly as she walked, and the ribbons glistened like morning dew. Whispers of admiration rose up from the gathered people as Kerah smiled at her relatives and close friends on each side. The diamonds and sapphires on her tiara sparkled like flashes of cameras and even glowed with a slight luminance. Her veils shifted like wisps of vapor around her head, creating the illusion of curtains of mist.

Kilili smiled genuinely at the smiles on Kerah and Sharuru's face. 'That's all I wanted to see,' she sighed inwardly.

Through her ears, she could vaguely make out the small amount of noise that let in by the sound spell the Sultan's magicians had worked on the palace. Outside the palace, hordes of angry Sonorans had congregated to protest the union. She turned her attention away from the cries of the town-people and focused on the air around her. Strangely, she felt a twinge of some sinister energy. Her eyes flashed as her magic traced the flimsy trail of the magic through the doors and down the stairs, heading towards the kitchen.

The kitchen! Of course! It was where supplies came in, shipped by caravans across the desert spanning most of Sonora. She hadn't thought to protect that place, since the protection and alarm spells there were so powerful. 'That must have been the alarm spell I just felt,' Kilili concluded, her eyes darting to look at each entrance to the enclosed courtyard. 'But it should have triggered an audible alarm, which means . . . someone from inside the palace must have disarmed the spells.' Slowly, she felt the malevolent energy grow stronger.

'Who did it doesn't matter now. What matters is where and when this person, or people, is going to strike. I should alert Zeroro and Zoruru.'

Kilili called in her mind-voice, 'Zeroro! Zoruru! I think an intruder just came in through the supply system!'

'Why didn't the alarms work?' Zeroro thought back, startled by her sudden call.

'That doesn't matter now. We have to figure out how to protect these people and Sharuru-kun from the threat.'

'Something's coming into the courtyard from the south door,' Zoruru reported.

Kilili left her place with the bridesmaids and threw up a glowing silver shield around the people. Sure enough, a torrent of fireballs rained down on her shield or the heads of the Sonorans below if she hadn't made the barrier. A blast of fire struck the south portion of her barrier, making it shudder. "Zeroro, get these people out of here! I can't hold this large a shield for much longer!" she bellowed over the screams of the Sonorans.

"Understood!" Zeroro shouted as he started hustling the wedding guests through the north gate. They raced into the north gate with all the grace of a herd of stampeding buffalo, but at least most of them had gotten out of the courtyard. He was focusing on ushering the Sultan, Sylwa, Balisha, Sharuru, and Kerah out when the silver screen surrounding them shattered. The sections of the screen disappeared immediately as Kilili, Zeroro, and Zoruru formed a protective triangle around the five.

"Stay close by, ladies and gentlemen," Kilili advised. "The enemy knows how to work fire magic. Zoruru, could you throw a barrier around us?"

He nodded as a grey wall surrounded their group. "Zeroro, could you analyze the courtyard with your assassin vision?" Kilili inquired.

"Of course," Zeroro replied. "Assassin magic . . . eyes of truth!"

His eyes scanned the courtyard, analyzing their surroundings with the efficiency of a supercomputer. Zeroro spotted a flare of red fire in the southeast corner and reported, "There's something in the southeast corner."

She shifted her gaze towards the southeast corner and gritted her teeth, conjuring up spheres of crackling lightning in both of her hands. "I won't forgive the asshole that ruined my friends' wedding!" she spat, jumping out of Zoruru's protective circle. Kilili immediately vanished, and the group saw bolts of lightning chasing after a Sonoran propelled by fire a moment later. The fire mage's face was frozen in fear as he shot up into the air on rockets of flame, closely pursued by Kilili and her lightning bolts.

"Come back here and get fried like a man!" she taunted, thrusting another jagged strike of lightning at him. This bolt hit his right leg and caused his fire to splutter out for a moment. He regained his composure quickly, though, and used his hands to conjure up fire. His right leg still twitched in shock as he dove towards Zoruru's circle and raised his hand in front of himself. Whispering a few words, a jet of fire roared towards the group below.

Zeroro jumped up and out of the barrier, holding his hands up in front of him. "Assassin fire art . . . diverting flame!"

The fire stopped at his hands, forced back by his magic. Unexpectedly, the line of flame split into two and arched backwards towards its source. The fire mage conjured a fiery ball of protection around himself, though, so the fire just ran around the orb and flickered out. When he removed the barrier, the mage found himself facing an enraged female Keronian with sparks flying out of her hands. "Oh no," he gasped.

An enormous bolt of lightning flung him back and enveloped him. "GYAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!" he screamed as he was electrocuted.

After a minute or so of this, Zeroro called, "Don't you think he's been punished enough?"

She flung a glower at him before sighing, "All right, then." The electricity vanished from the air and her hands, and the mage tumbled towards the ground. He was caught by a giant hand that extended from the earth, and then tossed onto the ground before the Sultan. Kilili alighted beside Zeroro and crossed her arms. The mage looked up and grinned crookedly at them, his teeth blackened by lightning. His hair was gone, and the clothes that he was wearing were black crisps. The whole of his skin was dry and cracked, as if he had gone without water for several days. Yet, he still grinned like a lunatic.

"Why do you look like that?" Kilili asked, contempt obvious in her voice. Her expression shifted to one of horror as she breathed, "Oh no."

"It was all a diversion," the mage rasped. "A diversion . . ." After saying this, the Sonoran collapsed on the ground, never to speak again.

Suddenly, a spherical silver cage lifted the motley set of Keronians and Sonorans into the air. Kilili shot at the walls, only to be blown back by the force of the magic. "Ohh . . .," she moaned, rubbing her head as she stood up. "That's some strong magic."

A figure hovered outside the cage with a sneer on his face. "I'm glad you approve of it, Keronian dirt."

"M-Master Sorcerer Mitarro!" Mwatara breathed. "What are you doing?"

"Supporting the _real_ Sultan," Mitarro spat.

"Traitor!" Sylwa shouted.

"Who are you working for?" Kilili asked calmly, flicking him a look of disgust.

"That's none of your business," Mitarro sniffed. "Your brains would be too simple to handle the information, anyway."

"Why you little . . .!" Kilili growled, stopping herself before she started spewing a multitude of names. She queried in a serene tone, "Were you the one who helped those first two assassins into the palace?"

"Those were my colleagues," Mitarro replied. "_I _would not orchestrate such weak attempts."

"I believe that you wouldn't," she nodded. "Your attempts would probably be much more amateurish."

Mitarro flushed red and boomed, "Silence, woman!"

"I'll have you know that I have a name," Kilili sighed. "It's Kilili, and don't you dare leave off an honorific."

The head sorcerer looked like he was about to retort with something involving the lack of an honorific on her name when another voice stopped him. "Enough, Mitarro-san," a deep voice commanded, its source unseen.

"B-B-But, leader-sama—"

"Do not spend any more time childishly bickering with these . . . people. I wish for you to do what I ordered you to do, and nothing else."

Mitarro bowed his head and answered, "Yes, leader-sama."

The voice said nothing more as Mitarro turned to look at the Sultan. All of a sudden, the staff that Mwatara always carried with himself flew out of his grasp and out of the cage. "NOOOOOOO!!" Mwatara yelled, jumping after it. He was stopped by the cage and flung back into the center of the orb. The staff jumped into Mitarro's hand, glowing purple for a brief moment.

The sorcerer sneered at all of them, saving a glare for Kilili. "I hope he tortures you before he kills you," he hissed at her.

Kilili, turning around, commented, "That's a nice thought. I hope he does the same to you."

Mitarro narrowed his eyes at her before evaporating with a puff of smoke. For a moment, they just gazed at where Mitarro had been. "Strange guy," Kilili started, turning to Mwatara. "Do you know him?"

"Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no!" Mwatara moaned, pulling on his face. "This is horrible!"

"What's so special about that staff?" she shrugged. "I mean, it's really glittery and shiny, but what's special about it? It's just an ordinary staff, right?"

"That's not an ordinary staff, Kilili-dono," Sylwa replied, shaking her head. "You don't know the effect it has on people."

"What effect?" she questioned.

"That staff is the fabled Staff of Sultans," Mwatara explained. "Besides being 'glittery and shiny', as you say, it has a powerful effect on people. The Staff of Sultans causes whoever possesses it to have a powerful presence, and makes everyone around that person obey him or her without question. Anyone who has that staff is, officially or unofficially, the Sultan of Sonora. Everyone on Sonora will obey whoever's behind this! It's also a powerful magical artifact, with the ability to shoot beams that can disintegrate entire cities in seconds."

"Kind of like the Keron Star," Zeroro mused. When the Sonorans looked blank, he explained, "The Keron Star is something that we give the officials of our army to make their subordinates respect them. It lends its own dignity to the wearer."

"What makes that staff have that effect?" Kilili asked.

Sylwa sighed. "You need to know the story behind the staff. Long ago, when Sonora was just a collection of warring tribes, a powerful mage from one of the tribes wanted to unite the tribes. Therefore, he created the ultimate weapon: a weapon that was not only powerful, but made everyone obey the user. That weapon is known today as the Staff of Sultans, and the mage who made it was the First Sultan. You wanted to know why the staff has that effect? It draws its power from the most magical thing on Sonora: our soul jewels. Those gems that were dangling from the staff are the soul jewels of Sonorans. The First Sultan took the soul jewels from Sonorans to power the staff. It sickens me, and we've been to find a way to destroy the staff. We haven't found anything yet, though."

"Your soul jewels are that powerful?" Kilili breathed.

"These gems are some of the most coveted items for collectors in the cosmos," Sylwa responded. "They go for very high prices in the black market, or so our spies say."

"What happens when you take a soul jewel from a Sonoran?" Zeroro inquired.

"That Sonoran fades away," Kerah said quietly. "Without our soul jewels, there's nothing anchoring us to life. There's no purpose for us to be here."

Sharuru put his hand on Kerah's shoulder to comfort her as she wept. "I-I-I . . .," she sniffled, "I just wanted to have a nice wedding! This was supposed to be the best day of my life, and some jerk just had to ruin it!" She started hiccupping, and Balisha rushed to her side.

"Drink this, your highness," Balisha ordered, handing her a cup of blue liquid. Kerah accepted the cup and downed its contents in one gulp, shuddering.

"Thank you, Balisha-san," Kerah said in a shaky voice.

"Don't worry, Kerah-chan!" Kilili cheered. "We'll get that staff back!"

"We will?" Zeroro and Zoruru blurted out in surprise.

"There's no other way we'll be able to get back home," she responded. "We should help our friends, anyway."

"I agree," Zeroro nodded. Zoruru inclined his head the smallest fraction of an inch.

Smiling, Kilili turned back to Kerah and tried to comfort her. 'We'll get it back, Kerah-chan,' Kilili vowed inwardly. 'I promise!'

………………………

That's all for Chapter . . . what is this again? Oh yeah, 6! Anyway, as I go get tested for insanity, read on! Please review!


	7. Storm the Palace?

Okay, Chapter 7. Enjoy the second-to-last chapter!

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Chapter 7: Storm the . . . Palace?

_1:12 AM_

_Sultan's Palace_

"Ready?"

Zoruru and Zeroro nodded, raising their hands. Their five companions looked at the three Keronians facing the wall of the cage. Balisha, with her healer's magic, had created a silvery safeguard in front of the onlookers to protect them from any stray magic (or just chunks of the wall). "Are you sure that you remember the plan?" Kilili asked. "After all, you two did forget that you were best men earlier."

"We remember," Zeroro said, ending the matter. With a nod, the three summoned up some of their strongest magic to break the cage.

"Special lightning art! Arrow of Light!"

"Zeroro's Double Flame Slash!"

"Whirlwind of Fire!"

A bow of bright, golden light materialized in one of Kilili's hands. She quickly nocked the shining arrow that appeared in her other hand onto the bow and fired it. The arrow shot towards the wall with the speed of lightning, trailing violent bolts of electricity after itself. Zeroro's blades blazed with fire, and he transformed into a flaming phoenix that sped towards the wall. The phoenix and the arrow circled around each other as a spiraling jet of fire twisted around them. They crashed with the wall, struggling to make a break in it. The energy swirled around that spot, slowly whittling a crack in the cage. After the crack appeared, they heard a splintering sound from the wall, and shards of silver blasted out. Zeroro was flung back by the force of the explosion, bouncing off Balisha's shield. When the pieces of the cage stopped breaking off, a large hole, two yards tall, was left in the side of their prison.

Balisha grinned wryly at Zeroro, who was rubbing the spot on his head that he had hit. "Well, that's one thing my shield deflected," she remarked.

"Come on!" Kilili urged, balancing on the edge of the wall. "Even though it's midnight, they could be coming any second!"

The group leaped out of the hole, with Kilili cushioning their fall with a pillow of air. They landed softly on the ground amidst broken chairs and tables from the ruined wedding. Torn flower petals decorated the wreckage like sprinkles on a cupcake. Since it was past midnight, the group couldn't see just how horrible it all looked. Kilili rapidly drove everyone out of the exposed space, covering their scent as they left. Zoruru took over the scent-covering duty as Kilili darted up to run beside Mwatara. "How much farther is it until the guards' weapons room?" she asked in a whisper.

"We take the next staircase down, make two lefts, and it's the second door on our left. I may not have my staff, but I have a skeleton key that opens every door in the palace," Mwatara replied quickly. The procession hurried down the next set of stairs on their right and turned left twice to stand in front of a heavy wooden door encased in gleaming iron. Mwatara immediately took out a key that was painted white with a skull for a handle. He jammed it into the keyhole, twisted it, and swung the door open. An array of weapons including maces, axes, spears, Sonoran broadswords, bow and arrow, daggers, and even grenades lay scattered on the walls and the floor.

"Sloppy," Kilili muttered as she took out two handles from her ears. Long, gleaming blades popped out of the handles at a word of command from her. "Don't your guards ever organize this place?"

"I'm afraid not," Mwatara sighed. "Perhaps I should tell them to from now on."

The assassins, already armed with the weapons that they had brought, waited for their companions to choose the weapons of their choice. Half a minute of scuffling later, everyone was armed with some weapon. Mwatara had chosen a Sonoran broadsword; Sylwa carried a spear. Kerah handled a staff, twirling it around with the ability of an expert. Sharuru had strapped clutches of grenades to his stabilizer belt and already had one in each hand. Balisha held a slender bow and had a quiver of obsidian-tipped arrows on her back. "You've trained with weapons before?" Kilili asked.

"Even if we're royalty, we have to know how to protect ourselves," Sylwa shrugged. "Each of us has our own weapon that we specialize in."

Zeroro peeked out of the door, stating, "I don't see anyone. Let's go."

They left the weapons room, not bothering to close the door behind them. Zeroro went ahead to scout out danger, while Zoruru trailed at the rear of the party to make sure that nothing was following them. After a minute, the troop arrived back upstairs and headed towards the palace oasis. "I bet that Mitarro-san's employer is reclining in my Illusion Chambers right now," Mwatara muttered. "He won't be for long!"

"We'll knock that usurper out of office for sure, Daddy!" Kerah exclaimed. "You'll have your staff back in no time."

"Shh, Kerah-chan," Kilili chided. "There are always eyes watching us. At least, that's what the officers at the military base say."

"Wait, so you, Zeroro-san, and Zoruru-san are . . .," Kerah gasped.

"Assassins. We were assigned to protect Sharuru-kun on his journey to Sonora," Kilili explained. "What's happening now will make a great story for Pururu."

"Pururu-san's your sister, right?" Kerah inquired.

Kilili nodded, then stiffened. "There's something up ahead."

The royals, Sharuru, and Balisha squinted into the darkness swamping the hall in front of them. "I don't see anything," Balisha commented.

"We do," Zeroro hissed. "Get behind us."

Zoruru, Zeroro, and Kilili formed a protective triangle around their companions again as something took a rattling breath in the darkness. Everyone froze. Large, eerie red orbs appeared in the air in front of them, moving closer slowly. The first thing that came out of the shadows was a smoky black paw; the second was a claw with cruel-looking talons that were at least as long as the Keronians were tall. Next was a huge, grotesque head with a forked tongue sticking out of an open mouth. The face was jumbled up, with the mouth where the eyes should have been, and the eyes in the nose's place. In fact, the creature didn't even have a nose. All it had was a gaping black space for a nose. The ears were long, and curled down to pile at the monster's feet. It had the body of a cat, with a thick, scaly tail that had spikes on it. The creature was completely black, with wisps of smoke drifting off of it.

"Oh crap," Kilili gasped, her eyes roving over it. Suddenly, she realized something. "Wait, that thing isn't real!"

"How can you say that?!" Zoruru hissed. "It's standing in front of us!"

"That's an illusion," Kilili insisted. "We can step right through it!"

"Are you sure?" Zeroro asked.

"I'm your teacher," she declared. "The teacher is always right, except when the teacher is wrong." Seeing their expression, she added, "That didn't help, did it? Anyway, just trust me on this."

Mwatara sighed, his whole frame deflating. "We have nothing to lose."

They stepped towards the enormous beast, shivering at the sight of those talons. When they stood in front of the beast, they faltered for a moment, but Kilili pushed them forward and through the beast. The group blinked, then looked behind themselves. The back of the monster was facing them, the tail waving up and down. A sigh of relief rose up from them. "Thank goodness you were right," Mwatara breathed.

"You should have never doubted me on this," Kilili replied, scowling. "Let's continue. We can't dawdle here all night."

The band rushed forward, gathering speed and tension as they neared the entrance to the courtyard. Bursting into the cool desert air, they could hear the spring bubbling innocently in the background. Nightingales chirped as fireflies, their glowing tails bobbing in the darkness, zoomed around. As they scurried down the brick path, Kilili questioned Sylwa, "Why are the birds and insects still awake?"

"Ah . . . you see, animals that are usually active in the evening for you Keronians stay awake all night on Sonora. I suppose you could call them nocturnal," Sylwa answered. "Perhaps we could have a rousing discussion about Sonoran wildlife later, though."

"You're right," Kilili nodded. "We should be focusing on executing our plan now."

Stopping in front of the glowing marble tower, the party felt like small children that were venturing into the haunted house down the lane. With a gulp, Kilili and Zoruru dashed up the side of the building. Their steps were noiseless as they made their way up the tower and stopped at the windowsill. Nodding, Kilili cut a large circle out of the window, whispering, "Sorry, friend."

The glass glowed red briefly before turning a resigned grey. The Keronians squeezed through the hole, jumping towards the ceiling. They clung to the ceiling and crawled swiftly across it, diving through the door to the Sultan's personal chambers. A heavy scent of incense hung in the air, tempting the assassins to relax and release their grip on the ceiling. Fortunately, they were trained to resist this urge, and the two kept crawling towards the red veil-draped canopy bed in the center of the room. Dusky reds and browns swirled around on the wallpaper, bearing a strong resemblance to the Sonoran sky. A dark cherry desk was stationed in the corner, with a ceramic lamp on it to illuminate files late at night. The picture of Sylwa and Mwatara still stood on the nightstand, but the glass was shattered.

Soft snores came from the cushy, Sultan-sized bed, and a large figure could be made out from the assassins' viewpoint. The couple crept, melting into the ceiling, towards the bed. Zoruru drew a dagger and got ready to flick it into the man's body.

Unexpectedly, a cyclone of fire erupted in the room, gulping down the wooden desk and bed greedily as it grew larger. The veil surrounding the bed was engulfed by the inferno, as well, becoming ashes in an instant. Soon, all that was left was the ceiling, floor, and the melted remains of the ceramic lamp. Kilili and Zoruru alighted on the floor, looking around with astonishment. There was no one else in the room until a voice chuckled, "You're quite stealthy. But your friends downstairs . . . not so much."

"What did you do with them?!" Kilili demanded.

"Mitarro-san is taking care of them," the voice answered.

"Why don't you reveal yourself, coward?" she goaded.

"Oh, I will reveal myself. After I gain control of Sonora, that is."

A wave of water crashed into the chamber, extinguishing the flames. The room was completely soaked, with water collecting in puddles on the ground. Marks of fire and ash still lay on the walls and floor, but the blaze was gone. Kilili's eyes were livid as she flew out of the room, a flood of liquid trailing behind her. She halted in the antechamber, and the water behind her stood in an impatient pillar. "Zeroro!" she cried.

Zeroro and company were trapped in a silver cage not unlike the one that they had been in earlier. He was slicing at the walls, to no avail. The magic held up. "Stop doing that," Kilili advised. "You're wasting your energy."

He stopped, sheathing his katana. "Don't come any closer. It's probably a trap."

She bit her lip, but responded, "I don't care. I'm coming to get you out anyway."

The water surged around her, surrounding her in a sphere of liquid. She zipped towards the cage and sent a hail of ice chunks towards the place that she was about to hit. The ice clunked against the wall, creating minuscule breaks in the barrier. Suddenly, the water dug into the same space. It made no headway for several minutes, to the disappointment of the prisoners. 'Don't give up yet,' Kilili thought determinedly. 'Over time, water can wear down the strongest steel.'

She increased the intensity of the flow, causing it to gush and froth at the point of impact. Gradually, even though no one could see it, the microscopic cracks grew bigger. As the water persisted, the cracks became visible. The wall started leaking several fat drops of water into the inside of the cage. Kilili flew back, withdrawing the water. "Now, Zeroro!" she yelled.

He nodded, shouting, "Zeroro's Double Flame Slash!"

The fiery phoenix made an appearance once again, striking the weak point in the barrier that Kilili's water had made. Flames crept out, forcing the cracks open and breaking off pieces of the wall. Another surge of fire, and the wall flew apart. Balisha conjured up another shield until the explosion settled down and did a quick check of her charges to make sure that no one was injured. "Zeroro!" Kilili called as she darted in. She gave him a quick hug. "Be more careful in the future!"

Zoruru stood on the edge of the hole and watched all this with an impassive gaze. "We should leave," he asserted quietly.

Kilili shepherded everyone out and led the group towards an open window. Without warning, a line of flames blazed up to stand in their way. "I'm afraid that I can't allow you to leave," the voice from earlier yawned. "You know, it's rude to disturb someone's sleep."

They turned to look at the huge figure in a golden tunic floating above head. The Sonoran's right hand drew a circle in the air, and a ring of fire rose up from the group to surround the Keronians and Sonorans. It wasn't the fire that drew their attention, though. Their mouths dropped as Mwatara gasped, "U-U-U-UBUKO!!"

"Hello, Mwatara, old chum," Ubuko greeted. "How are you?"

"Y-Y-Y-You—"

Ubuko yawned. "I suppose that you'll be wanting an explanation."

"Well, yes!!"

He sighed, saying, "You see, old friend, I'm tired of always being in your shadow. Even when we were children, people would always pay more attention to you, since you were the heir to the throne. I was constantly forgotten and disregarded as just 'the Prince's street rat friend'. At first, I just ignored this, but after you married Sylwa, I decided that I was tired. You took the girl that I loved, and that was just too much. In addition, I was continually weary that everyone tried to be my friend in order to get to you."

"You could have just talked to me about it," Mwatara suggested.

"Silence!" Ubuko boomed, thrusting the staff downwards.

Mwatara's back straightened as he saluted his former friend. "I beg your pardon, Sultan-sama! Wait . . . why did I just say that?"

"He has the staff," Sylwa explained softly.

"Oh, that's it."

Ubuko drifted towards the ground, resting gently on the floor. He cleared his throated and continued, "Anyway, you still want your explanation?"

"Yes," Kilili huffed, "and before tomorrow, if you can."

"No one disrespects me! Especially not you, Keronian wench!" Ubuko roared. He pointed the staff at her.

Kilili blinked. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Huh?" Ubuko shook the staff, pointing it again at her.

"Do you know how idiotic you look?" she questioned.

"Why—isn't—this—thing—working?!" Ubuko growled, slamming it onto the ground with every word. The staff shuddered at each blow, the gems dangling from it shaking fiercely.

"She's a Keronian," Mwatara stated, "and the staff only works on Sonorans. You can't control her."

Kilili grinned. "This should be fun."

She disappeared, reappearing behind Ubuko. He promptly reacted, sending a fireball over his shoulder at her. A sheet of water Kilili pulled in front of herself made the fireball sizzle out, and she responded with a cascade of shurikens. Ubuko blasted himself away with jets of flame, glancing over his shoulder occasionally to check his distance from the Keronian. When she wasn't there, he halted, puzzled. Suddenly, a tiny green fist knocked him into a nearby tree. He shook his head and slowly got to his feet to find Kilili floating in front of him. "No one calls me a wench and gets away with it," she hissed, punching him again.

Ubuko stumbled to the side, and Kilili saw her chance. "Rip current!" she shouted, causing a surf of rippling blue water to rise up behind herself. It crashed down, sending spray and foam through the dome. Kilili darted ahead of the swell, encircling herself and her friends in a silvery orb against the tide. They bobbed, a bubble in the ocean, on the torrent of water until it drained away through the stairs. The shield faded away as the last rivulets of liquid trickled down the stairs. "Thank you, Kilili-dono," Mwatara thanked, shaking a few drops of water out of his ear. He glanced at the unconscious figure of Ubuko, his expression darkening. "We still have something to take care of, though."

Mwatara strode over to where Ubuko lay and prodded him with his foot. Ubuko moaned and turned over, but didn't wake up. The tunic that Ubuko had worn was drenched now, and he could make out the vague image of a flaming triangle tattooed on his former friend's back. Wrenching his staff from the usurper's grip, Mwatara felt a surge of energy wash into him. He sighed in relief. All the time that he had been without the staff, he had felt peculiarly vulnerable and insignificant. Now, however, he felt like his old self again. Sultan Mwatara, phoenix of the desert planet, commander of the mighty forces of the Sonoran Forces, ruler of the Sonoran Empire, the magnificent garnet of Sonora, has returned!

He turned to look at Kilili, who was laughing with her friends Zoruru and Zeroro. 'I should find some way to thank her and her colleagues,' Mwatara realized. He glanced at his daughter, who was sitting on a granite bench with Sharuru at her side to comfort her. 'I should also reorganize Kerah's wedding. She deserves her perfect day.'

"Honey," Sylwa started, calling him over to their group. "You should call the guards."

Mwatara nodded, banging his staff on the ground twice. A few seconds later, armored Sonorans clanked up the stairs, spears in their hands. "You called, O Magnificent One?" the head guard inquired. He started when he saw the dripping dome, slippery floors, and lifeless Sonoran lying on the ground, but didn't say a word.

"I did. Please take . . . _this_," Mwatara beckoned towards Ubuko, "to the dungeons. Lock him in the maximum security room for fire magicians."

The guards nodded, picking Ubuko up and rushing downstairs with him. Their clattering footsteps faded away into the night as Mwatara shook his head. 'Ubuko . . .,' he thought.

Something tugged on his sleeve. "Daddy?" Kerah began. "Could we start on the arrangements for my wedding again? I'd like to have it before Kilili-san and the others have to leave."

Mwatara smiled and replied, "Of course, pumpkin. How about we discuss it first thing in the . . . afternoon? We all need some sleep."

She heaved a sigh. "All right, then. First thing in the afternoon."

The group trudged away from the tower, dropping onto their beds and falling asleep almost immediately.

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	8. The Way Back to Keron Star

(sigh) Last chapter of The Calling of Fire. I feel sad, as well, this time. Oh well, I'll feel happy again when I start my next fanfic. By the way, my next fanfic is going to be called Egg of Doom. Look for it soon! (And I mean soon.)

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Chapter 8: The Way Back to Keron Star

_7:24 PM_

_Outskirts of the Gamma Storm Cloud System_

Kilili lay on the bed in her room on the space jet. 'It seems like it's been years since I went to Sonora on this jet, not weeks,' she sighed. 'So much happened there! Sharuru and Kerah got married (twice because their first wedding was ruined), there were three assassination attempts, and we foiled a conspiracy by Mwatara-dono's best friend, no less! I also made so many good friends! Kerah-chan, Sylwa-san, Balisha-san, Mwatara-dono, Sharuru-kun . . . oh, yeah, Sharuru-kun's staying on Sonora. I hope that he and Kerah-chan are happy together.

'I still can't believe that he gave us medals!' she thought. 'The Golden Flame Medal, for services rendered to Sonora. He didn't need to give them to us, and I told him so, but he still gave us those medallions. At the very least, it'll make a great souvenir for Pururu. It'll look great on the mantelpiece. So shiny . . .'

Hearing a cough, she turned to look at a Keronian in her doorway. "Zoruru!" she exclaimed, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I've been here for several minutes," he said.

"Sorry," she apologized. "Come in!"

Zoruru stepped inside, lingering near the doorway. "I just wanted to see how you were doing," he blurted out. "You've been working all week on Kerah-dono and Sharuru-dono's wedding, so you're probably tired. If you need anything—"

"Thanks for your concern, but I'm fine," Kilili assured. "All I needed was a good night's sleep. Speaking of which, did you sleep well last night?"

He nodded, looking uncomfortable. "Well . . . I'll be going."

"No, no, stay! Some company would be nice."

Zoruru hesitated, but sat down on the rug. Kilili joined him, settling into a position of meditation. They faced each other, each deep in meditation. Kilili could sense Zoruru's magic, even though her eyes were closed. It was a fiery and airy kind of magic, burning and light at the same time. 'That makes sense,' she concluded. 'Zoruru's strongest elements were always fire and air.'

'Just the same way your strongest elements are water and air,' Zoruru thought.

'Hey! How many times have I told you that eavesdropping on someone's thoughts without their permission is rude? Unless, of course, it's necessary to eavesdrop on what they're thinking,' Kilili fumed.

'You realize how contradictory that sounds, right?'

'Yes, I know. But it's true.'

Zoruru paused before asking, 'What do you think will happen when we come back?'

She froze before responding, 'Do you really want to know?'

'Is it bad?'

'It's not bad. Not really. We'll probably just be . . . promoted.'

He sensed a different meaning behind her statement and replied, 'You don't mean promoted. You mean transferred.'

'Unfortunately, yes. I know that we'll be transferred to different posts, most likely in different platoons or troops. Since you and Zeroro are new to the Keron Forces, you don't know this. Every time you pass a mission, you're moved to a different squad. I think they do this to prevent us from becoming too attached to teammates.'

"I don't want to be separated from you!" Zoruru wailed out loud.

"Shh, Zoruru," Kilili hushed. "Zeroro could hear you."

"You haven't told him yet?" Zoruru asked.

"Zeroro is particularly . . . mentally delicate. I wouldn't want to upset him."

"Then why would you tell me?"

"You're a bit firmer mentally. I knew that you would take the news a little better."

Zoruru was silent. "Why does it have to be this way?" he inquired. "I don't want to leave you!"

'Even though he's grown-up, Zoruru can still be childish at times,' Kilili thought, saying, "Stop acting like a child. This is military life. It happens every day. If you can't handle it, then maybe you shouldn't have joined the Keron Forces."

He shook his head, standing up and declaring, "I can handle it."

Zoruru walked out of the room as Kilili sighed, "Zoruru, tell the truth."

No response.

She strolled over to the window and peered out of it. Distant stars, comets, meteors, and space rubble flashed by as they zoomed through space, getting closer and closer to their destination by the second. 'We'll be there any minute,' Kilili realized. 'Pururu should be waiting there, too, and I don't know where I left that medallion!'

Panicking, Kilili thrust her closet door open and clattered up and down the shelves, looking for the medallion. She dashed out of the closet and into the bathroom, tearing the sink off the wall and examining the plumbing to make sure that the medal hadn't fallen into the tub or toilet. When she figured that it wasn't in the plumbing, Kilili dropped the sink and went back into her room. Searching in the drawers of her desk and under the bed, she still had no success. With a sigh, she moaned, "Now I have nothing for Pururu!"

"Oh, Kilili!" Zeroro greeted, peeking into her room. "What are you looking for?"

"The medallion that the Sultan gave me," she answered, pulling the sheets off of her bed. "I was going to give it to Pururu as a souvenir."

He tapped her on the shoulder and handed her a gleaming, golden medal. "Is this it?" he asked.

Her eyes widened. "Yes! Thanks, Zeroro!" She hugged it to her chest. "By the way, where did you find it?"

"You gave it to me after the ceremony and told me to hold it for you. I've been holding it for you ever since."

"Oh. Well, thanks again. You really saved me from a tight spot with my sister!"

Zeroro nodded and walked back out, pausing at the door. "You look unsettled," he commented. "Did something happen between you and Zoruru-san?"

"How would you know that?" she asked.

"He looked upset when he walked past me in the hall."

Kilili flinched. "It's nothing."

"We'll be landing on Keron Star shortly," Tururu's voice interrupted. "Please make sure that you take all of your personal belongings with you. It has been an honor to serve you, and I hope that we will meet again someday. Thank for choosing the Keron Air Forces."

His voice buzzed out, and the passengers felt the jet tilting downwards. A few minutes later, Kilili and Zeroro saw out the window that their surroundings were gradually changing to a green color, with big, bright yellow stars dotting the sky. They dashed out into the main room and looked out the larger window there with Zoruru. The familiar landscape of Planet Keron loomed below them, with buildings made of what appeared to be dice and many smaller houses scattered amongst the dice-buildings. The jet turned to the right, zooming away from the town. Soon, the military base lay beneath them, with its grey and army green bunkers and many aircraft patrolling the skies around it. Specks moving around below were Keronians going about their daily business at the base. Several specks looked up after hearing the jet fly past, but the jet had already flown to the other side of the base: the landing strips. They circled around the field several times, waiting for clearance. When the spacecraft that had been on the strip was wheeled away, the jet descended from the sky. It tapped down gently, jolting its passengers only slightly. The jet slowed down, coming to a halt in front of the air base doors.

The doors slid aside, allowing the jet to wheel inside before closing again. After parking the spacecraft in a spot marked 'RWB-275', Tururu turned the ship off and left the pilot's cabin. He and Haroro bowed briefly to the three assassins before opening the door for them. Each of the soldiers nodded as they went past, stepping down the unfolded stairway. As soon as Kilili stepped off the stairs, she heard, "Big sis!!"

Looking up, she was suddenly squeezed by Pururu, who had been with the Admiral. The Admiral chuckled, apologizing, "This young lady insisted that she be here for your return. I'm sorry, Major Kilili-dono."

"It's fine, sir," Kilili replied, then looked down at Pururu. "You can release me now."

"Right." Pururu hopped back, a smile on her face. "I really missed you!"

"I missed you, too," Kilili responded. "Oh, I got you something on Sonora." She handed Pururu the medallion.

"For me?" Pururu's eyes widened in disbelief. "You shouldn't have! This must have been really expensive!"

"Mwa—Sultan-dono gave one to each of us." Kilili motioned towards Zeroro and Zoruru. "It's for services rendered to the royal family."

"I heard it all from the Admiral," Pururu told her. "That's incredible! You have to tell me more about Sharuru-san and Princess Kerah-sama and Queen Syl—"

"I need to make an announcement, Pururu-san," the Admiral interrupted. Pururu quieted and stepped back. "Thank you. Now, as you three have completed this mission quite successfully, it's time for your reassignments."

Zeroro's eyes widened. "R-R-Reassignments, sir?"

"Of course. Didn't Major Kilili-dono tell you?"

"When were you going to tell me?" Zeroro asked Kilili. She winced at his hurt expression. "If it's something this important, you should have told me immediately!"

"I knew that you wouldn't take it well," Kilili replied. "That's why I didn't tell you."

"Did Zoruru-san know?" he pestered.

"She told me today," Zoruru said quietly. "That's why I was upset earlier."

Zeroro's gaze shifted from Zoruru to Kilili to the Admiral. "Did everyone know except me?" he asked, a note of panic slipping into his voice.

"If it helps, I didn't know, too," Pururu piped up. She fell silent at Kilili's glare that said 'You're not helping.'

"Zeroro . . .," Kilili started, turning to Zeroro.

_Trauma Switch: On!_

It was too late. Zeroro was sitting in a corner, mumbling things about 'that time when everyone went to the fair and left me behind . . .'

"Oh dear," Kilili sighed. "His trauma switch is on again. You were saying, Admiral-sama?"

The Admiral glanced at Zeroro. "Should I be worried about him?" the Admiral inquired.

"He's usually back to normal by the next day," Kilili answered. "You don't need to worry about him."

"You know Lance Corporal Zeroro-dono best," the Admiral shrugged. "Anyway, where were we?"

"Reassignments," Zoruru informed. A wail rose up from Zeroro at the word.

"Zoruru!" Kilili hissed, jabbing him with her elbow. Zoruru winced, rubbing his right arm. "Don't say that word around Zeroro!"

The Admiral cleared his throat. "I would like to start. First, Major Kilili-dono. You shall be the assassin of the Garuru Platoon."

"I get to work with Garuru-kun?" Kilili questioned, excitement in her voice.

"You know First Lieutenant Garuru-dono?" the Admiral queried, surprised.

She nodded. "We're childhood friends."

"That's excellent, then. It'll make cooperation with your leader easier. Take your belongings from your barracks and go to the Garuru Platoon's spacecraft after I finish talking. Do you know what it looks like?"

"Garuru-kun once described his ship to me. It looks like his hat, doesn't it?"

"Basically. Now, Lance Corporals Zoruru-dono and Zeroro-dono are to be on the Keroro Platoon."

Kilili's face darkened. 'Zeroro working with Keroro-san? That's not going to turn out well. . . .,' she thought.

"The Keroro Platoon is going on a mission immediately, as well. Report to Bunker #89 afterwards to meet up with your new teammates, Lance Corporals Zoruru-dono and Zeroro-dono." The Admiral peered at Zeroro. "Did he hear all that?" he asked Kilili.

"I don't think so. Zoruru, could you tell him later?" Kilili asked.

Zoruru nodded.

"Dismissed," the Admiral said.

Kilili dragged Zeroro by his shroud out of the bunker, with Pururu and Zoruru at her side. The Admiral looked after them, saluting. 'I expect great things from you, Major Kilili-dono,' he thought. 'Great things.'

………………………

_7:12 PM_

_Koyuki, Dororo, and Kilili's Cabin_

". . . and that's all for my story," Kilili ended. "So, what did you think, Koyuki-chan?"

"That's amazing!" Koyuki chirped. "You have to show me some pictures from the wedding sometime!"

"Sure. I'll just have Nisese send me them," Kilili shrugged. She turned towards Dororo and shook her head. "I guess that Dororo's trauma switch turned on again after being reminded of that time."

". . . and there was that time when they left me to deal with the older kids by myself . . . and there was that time with the sea monkeys . . . Keroro-kun fed them too much and they died . . .," Dororo mumbled, rocking back and forth in a corner.

Koyuki and Kilili both sighed and said, "Dororo . . ."

The End

………………………

_Try not to upset your friends._

_Crystal Blossoms_

I decided that I'm going to put a tidbit of wisdom at the end of all my stories from now on. Well, The Calling of Fire is over. Hope you liked the story! If you have any questions, feel free to ask me via review.


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